


Untameable

by RavenLewdvi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A lot of murder, Alpha Eren Yeager, Alpha/Omega, Blood and Violence, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Cock Slut Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Creepy Armin, Dirty Talk, Eren Yeager Has Anger Issues, Eren Yeager Loves Levi, Eren is super strong and super fast, Eren’s a beast in the sheets, Erwin Smith Being an Asshole, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Hange Zoë Being Hange Zoë, Kinks, Levi Loves Eren Yeager, Levi gets turned into a omega, Levi has a pet cat, Levi has a praise kink, Levi has a tea shop, Levi is Eren's weakness, Levi’s poor ass, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Omega Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), One-Sided Levi/Erwin Smith, Others have super powers as well, Rough Sex, Secrets, Serial Killer Eren Yeager, Top Eren Yeager, a lot of smut, dangerous Eren, indifferent Jean, like he has powers, mute Mikasa, stalker eren, when Eren isn't killing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:15:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 39,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenLewdvi/pseuds/RavenLewdvi
Summary: Eren Jaeger was humanity's most wanted prolific serial killer. After being genetically enhanced, he becomes something more dangerous known as an Alpha.Levi Ackerman is a socially awkward tea shop owner who's struggling to escape his dark past and waiting for something miraculous to change his now tedious life.It seems Eren's imprint on him ends up changing more than he might have expected.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein, Levi/Eren Yeager, Mentions of Nile Dok/Erwin Smith, Nanaba/Hange Zoë, Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer
Comments: 56
Kudos: 485





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Someone asked for more serial killer Eren AU and I was like, why not?  
> Read the tags, this won't be a cute fic. That said, it will be cute in some scenes.  
> Just a heads up, Levi will be the only omega here and Eren the only alpha. There's a reason why so read to find out.  
> Enjoy it, don't enjoy it, up to you.

Locking up ' _Humanitea's Best'_ , the petite raven pulled out his phone to check his most recent messages. He had one from his best friend, confirming their dinner plans for tonight. The raven sighed. His friend has been asking him out for the better part of the past five years they've known each other, always finding new ways to do so. 

The raven wasn't interested.

He was a social recluse before Erwin and Hange came crashing into his life, the later quite literally. Erwin Smith was the best cop the police force had and was also incredibly handsome. He was a gentleman as well as a lady killer, someone who grew up wealthy and had everything handed to him. For some reason, the raven had caught his eye one night five years ago and ever since Levi served him tea, the raven hasn't been able to get him to back off. Levi Ackerman owned a tea store due to his mother and because tea was the only thing in life that didn't irritate him; excluding cleaning and his pet cat Captain of course. Hange always loved to tease him about how the little black and white ball of fluff was secretly Levi's emotional side. The eccentric woman even compared how cute they both were and couldn't decide who was more adorable. She always got her key privileges to his apartment taken away for those types of comments.

As his phone pinged with another message from the same man, Levi bit his bottom lip with unease. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Erwin's company, far from it actually, the blonde man was one out of two of the only people he trusted in his life. They simply weren't meant to be. At the ripe age of twenty-eight, the only reason why Levi finally agreed to go out with Erwin was that he was getting lonely and losing hope. It seemed that spark he was looking for wasn't there and as much as Levi stretched to Erwin that, he was simply going out with him out of fear for spending the rest of his life alone, Erwin hadn't even blinked an eye.

_2 new messages_

_*Just making sure I'm still picking you up for tonight? 7 pm outside your door, I'll be waiting.*_

_*You're probably closing your shop right now. Call me when you're at home.*_

Sometimes Erwin's overbearingness rubbed Levi off the wrong way. He understood the blonde man was simply worried about him, given how they had met but Levi was over that now. His past was five years behind him and Erwin's constant worrying reminded him about the night they met.

Rolling his eyes, Levi sent him a reply before pocketing his phone and marching to the back of his shop. He lived in the upper floor but the only way Levi could get there was by taking the back door around the long dark alleyway. He didn't mind though. If anything it was a good security measure. If he ever got robbed the only way to his apartment was at the end of the alley and no burglar would spend their time doing that. 

_Who would even want to rob a tea shop anyway?_

Smiling slightly from the thought, Levi blew against his quickly frosting hands. It was early December and no matter how many layers he put on, the raven always seemed to attract the cold. Passing a few old newspapers along the way, Levi reached the edge of his corner but stopped when two shadowed figures illuminated the street light ahead. After dark, the alleyway was always swarming with teenagers drinking or homeless people looking for the next hit. Levi never had trouble with them ever since a couple of idiotic highschoolers decided to start a pointless argument with him. They had learned the hard way that as small as he was, Levi packed a crazy punch and kick, enough so that two of the assholes ended up in the hospital. Nobody ever bothered him again after rumours started to spread like a virus. A gang did try to rough him up a few weeks after, but to Levi's fortune, Erwin was patrolling the area and managed to step in just in time. After seeing him with Officer Smith, it became an unspoken rule that Levi was off-limits. Erwin wasn't as charming as he seemed and every thug knew the cop had a bad side. Nobody ever hung around the alley behind his shop after that as well, the short walk home always filled with calm silence. Seeing the two figures were a surprise, them being the first company the raven's noticed in the alley for the last five years. Levi was secretly hoping that they were new to town and had come to rough him up. As much as Levi loved his solitude, he did get bored. Today had been peculiar, with him finally agreeing to go out with Erwin and his shop almost packed, it was only common sense to assume it'd end with a bang.

Hesitating, Levi pushed off the strange feeling he suddenly got. The two were in his way so Levi wanted to continue his walk, but there was something sinister about the taller of the two that made him rethink that. His stance was casual, almost as if he was having a simple conversation with the other man in front of him. Levi blinked away the sudden unease he felt. The taller must have sensed him then since his form seemed to go rigid. Unconsciously, Levi took a discreet step back but managed to crunch a few broken beer bottles under his boot. 

The other figure seemed to snap at the sound, turning his body towards Levi. The raven couldn't make out his face but he could tell that they were frightened. Startled and bug-eyed, the man's body twitched before shaking uncontrollably.

" _P-Please, hel_ -" He seemed to cry out on a broken shout before his words ended on a chocked scream, the taller sending a punch towards his throat. The action was so fast Levi barely saw it happening. The recently disturbed man's body was pushed against the stone wall so hard Levi heard the back of his head split open. His throat was also punched through, Levi able to see the skin deformed around the shape of the taller's hit under the street light. 

Levi was frozen to the spot, but he wasn't afraid. He had seen worst during his time with his uncle. That still didn't make it easier to watch though. There was something about the way the taller man had killed the other that was almost animalistic. If Levi was exaggerating he would even say that the man had killed the other without a shred of humanity. 

The mysterious man was still facing away from him, rubbing against his balled hand. His body was still rigid, his head bowed as he seemed to stare at his victim. Levi thought of slipping past him and pretending he didn't see anything, but then-

"You're not scared." 

The stranger's voice was... Empty. It was deep and smooth but void of any emotion. No remorse or excitement from what he had just done. Levi recognised why that was instantly.

_He's killed before._

From his stance and now relaxing shoulders, Levi would bet his cat and shop that this wasn't his second victim either. Not even his fourth. With that sudden realisation, Levi's spine started to prick with slight anxiety. 

The man less than three meters in front of him was a serial killer.

As the man slowly turned around to face him, Levi noticed him staring, waiting.

"I've seen worse." The raven blurted out, thankful that his voice didn't waver. 

This wasn't any of his business and if the man asked, Levi simply would say he didn't see anything. That wasn't a guarantee though and Levi knew the man knew this too. If he wanted to keep the raven silent, he'd have to kill him. Levi wasn't too fond of that idea.

The man's body seemed to twitch before he took a step. 

Levi's heart started hammering.

He took another, then another. 

If push came to shove, Levi was certain he could take this man down. But that strange feeling from before was still there, a six sense warning him that this man wasn't... _Normal_. His flight instincts kicked in at this thought and the raven didn't wait a split second longer. Levi's instincts were what kept him alive this long and he wasn't about to turn his back on them now.

Levi's feet woke up after the fourth step and using his past skills, the raven dashed towards the stranger. The man hesitated for a second, a second Levi needed. Sidestepping his way around him, Levi jumped over a broken crat to the side before racing towards the end of the darkening alley. The street light from behind him was dimming with every step. Adrenaline pumped hot in his veins, the rush pushing his body with a burst of speed only a trained fighter possessed. He managed to confuse the man and was moments away from thinking he managed to get away. Levi's lungs filled with the frosty air and with a gasp, he found his head slammed against a wall, his vision quickly blurring. 

Ridiculously warm fingers wrapped around his throat, his feet struggling to stay on the ground. The man's solid build towered over him, his dark locks dangling around his face. He was so close Levi could feel his warm breath on his forehead. If he wasn't rattled from the sudden movement, Levi might have taken some pleasure in how warm the stranger was. If only for a split second before rationality hit him like a train on tracks.

_He's a fucking serial killer._

"You're fast," the man said, tilting his head slightly before raising Levi's own to reach his eyes. "And... _Gorgeous_."

Levi's lips trembled but not from the cold. 

_Holy shit his eyes_.

The man had jewels for eyes, the colour so spectacular Levi lost his mind for a few seconds. Bleeding the perfect blend of green and blue with the outer ring a rich gold, Levi's body relaxed in his hold when he saw human emotion in them. They were sparkling with passion and the strongest form of determination Levi's ever seen. 

The man loosened his hold against Levi's throat, allowing the raven to slide down the wall and stare up at him. Levi's hands were digging into the stranger's arms and he didn't go to remove them. The stranger didn't seem to mind, his now clean hands reaching out towards him. Levi was still awestruck to even notice. As the stranger drew closer, Levi's feeling from before vanished. The man didn't seem like he was planning on killing him now, the raven's body twitching with a newfound need to be closer to him. 

_Dammit, he's still a fucking serial killer._

The stranger went to touch his hair before starting to-

_Holy shit he's petting me._

Levi frowned at him and ignoring recent events, released his arm before slapping the stranger's hand off his head.

"I'm not a dog, stop petting me." He bit out, scowling at the stranger. 

The man paused, his eyes flickering with an intense emotion before narrowing. Levi would deny that he found that look so alluring.

"Name." The stranger growled out suddenly, slamming both hands on the side of Levi's face. The raven felt his stomach jump from the action, a sudden thrill rising from it. 

_What the fuck._

The stranger glared down at him expectantly. Even in the dim lighting, those eyes of his seemed to glow emerald. Levi sucked in a breath to calm his racing heart, mentally slapping himself from finding _all of this_ so... _Arousing_. 

The stranger didn't seem to enjoy Levi's silence since he growled out once more with a slight edge to his tone, " _Name_."

Levi couldn't help but jump slightly from the sound. He hated how cowardly he seemed. He used to take down men three times his size, dammit. 

Grasping onto his pride, Levi decided not to reply. He'd rather die than humiliate himself from caving into this man's rich, memorising gaze and addictive heat.

The stranger's body started to shake with anger and Levi wondered if this was the end for him. 

_No, I can't die now._

He still had so much to do. Captain depended on him and what about his shop? Levi couldn't just give up on his life that easily. If there was one memorable thing Kenny ever taught him, it was to fight until his dying breath, screw the situation.

Finding his resolve, Levi went to glare at the man when without a word, the stranger pulled away before he spun around.

Levi blinked and then, he was gone. 

The raven's mouth was left gaping open as the stranger seemed to disappear.

_There is no fucking way..._

Scanning his bewildered gaze down the alley, Levi looked from side to side, watching out for something, _anything_ to reassure him that he wasn't losing his mind. A splash of cold water might have been dumped on him from how rigid he was.

The body was gone.

-

" _You sure you didn't trip and bang your head?"_ Hange asked through their call.

Levi bit back a groan as he stroked Captain's fur, the action releasing a purr and the sound relaxing him.

"Hange, have you ever known me to be that clumsy?"

There was silence over the phone before a thoughtful hum.

_"Okay, good point. But if there was no blood and not even a body, how are you going to prove that your mystery man even exists?"_

Levi thought for a few seconds before giving up. 

Maybe he _was_ losing his mind. Maybe his need for a partner conjured up a man from his deepest darkest fantasies and that was who he saw. The idea was more disturbing than a possible fantasy. He might have seen some fucked up shit through his life and done a few things himself, but Levi was not into murderers. Seeing a man kill someone was _not_ something he got off on. Was not something any sane person would get off on.

Maybe he should hook the mysterious person up with Hange. 

_"Hello? You didn't hang up on me again, did you?"_

"No. It felt so real though..." Levi trailed off, remembering the man's warmth and touch. The stranger's body temperature was incredibly high, especially during the cold weather. Levi recalled what the man was wearing; baggy long hooded jacket, dark brown shirt and loose jeans. His hair was pulled back into a messy bun and something gleaming was hanging from his neck.

_A necklace maybe?_

_"Levi? You still there?"_

The raven blinked before Captain meowed from his chest, dark eyes gleaming up at him.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just shaken up by it."

 _"Well, maybe you should come to see me. I don't think you're being crazy."_ Hange's voice held concern. Levi was thankful for her and even if she was sometimes eccentric, the woman was a damn good doctor.

"I don't know, maybe I just need to sleep it off."

The last thing Levi needed was to be analysed. Whatever the hell he saw in the alley, either a creation of his own fucked up psych, he needed to put it to the back of his mind. Erwin was coming to pick him up in less than thirty minutes and Levi hadn't even taken a shower yet.

_"You sure? I can convince Erwin to cancel your plans for tonight so you can rest."_

Levi wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with some tea and a good book but Erwin deserved better than that.

"No, I'll call you again if I... Just, thanks Hange." He told his friend. Hange replied with a bubbling ' _you're welcome!_ ' before Levi hung up. Placing Captain on the mountain of blankets Levi had surrounded himself with, the raven made his way to his bathroom, stripping along the way.

-

"Levi, you hardly touched your pasta."

The raven jolted from Erwin's deep voice. He looked back at his untouched plate before meeting the blonde man's questioning stare.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling well tonight." He mumbled. 

Erwin had made reservations at one of the best restaurants in town called ' _Marie's'._ Nile Dok, the owner of the restaurant, was one of Erwin's... Special friends. Despite being the best cop in _Maria District,_ Erwin didn't think Levi knew about his many conquests. Hange was the biggest gossip in town and Levi's best friend so of course, the raven would hear about it. Levi didn't care, adding Erwin's commitment issues along with the long list of why they'd never work. Taking a quick look around the red interior of the restaurant, Levi felt uneasy. _Marie's_ had one special spot where one couple could sit at for the night, the area facing the large floor to ceiling window and secluded from everyone else. Levi had been hesitant when Erwin led him towards the corner of the restaurant, not expecting to see roses and a gift basket on the round table. Levi had placed the basket under the table though, not interested in the chocolates and wine. He had to give it to Erwin, the man knew how to charm, but he should have known that kind of stuff didn't work on Levi. 

"Well, tell me what's on your mind then." Erwin asked.

Levi blinked at him as the blonde raised a large brow, watching him with a soft smile. The raven looked back at his pasta, wishing it was ice cream instead. He had an unhealthy obsession with the cold desert but that wasn't why he needed it now. Levi needed something to cool his body, which strangely started feeling hot since he got dressed before meeting Erwin downstairs. 

_Maybe I'm coming down with a cold?_

Levi didn't answer Erwin's question, choosing to ask one of his own.

"Catch any assholes today?"

Erwin's lip twitched at Levi's deflection but thankfully allowed it.

"No, it's been... Quiet. I've always had to deal with a few shoplifters at least once every day but today has been uneventful."

Levi grunted before forcing himself to take a drink of the glass of white wine in front of him. He never liked alcohol but Levi thought it was fair considering what had happened hours ago.

"Levi, are you sure you're fine? You look a bit pale." Erwin asked with a worried tone. 

Levi waved him off and cleared his throat. His skin felt flush all of a sudden and his hands were clammy. An intense surge of heat started to flow through his bloodstream and Levi blinked twice before his eyes widened.

"Levi?"

Pushing his chair back, the raven shot of his seat before dashing into the centre of the restaurant. Once making his way into the main setting, Levi circled large two-seater tables. People turned to look at him as he raced towards the back of the large restaurant, but his ears started to ring and Levi couldn't focus on anything else at that moment even if he wanted to. Coming across the hallway, Levi slowed down when he reached the restroom sign. The raven placed his hand against the wall when he suddenly felt dizzy. His head throbbed and his chest was constricting, almost as if all the air was being sucked out of his lungs. The raven felt his legs begin to shake. 

"Levi!" 

Quickly looking back, the raven cursed as Erwin's voice started to grow closer.

"Fucking shit. _Fuck_." He grumbled. 

Slapping his face with his other hand, Levi grit his teeth as he made his way into the restroom. Once inside, he locked the door before sagging, his body sliding down it. If he wasn't struggling to breathe he might have sneered at how disgusting the floor might have been. He'd never had any kind of panic or heart attack before so the raven didn't know what was happening to him at that moment. Dropping his head in between his legs, Levi willed himself to take deep slow breaths. His hands were shaking and he felt so feverish. His skin was awfully hot and Levi wanted to rip all his clothes off so they would stop itching him all over. 

"Calm down, calm the fuck down."

Levi repeated this over and over, hoping it would convince his body to comply.

"Levi, you in here?"

Erwin knocked on the other side of the restroom. Levi growled underneath his breath as irritation started to creep in.

"Go the _fuck_ away!" He screamed, banging his head back against the door. 

Levi's body heated up, even more, a bead of sweat rolling down from his temple to his chin. He wanted to scratch and claw at his skin, wanted to rip off his clothes and jump into a pool of ice. 

_What the hell is happening to me?!_

"Levi, if you don't open this door right now, I'm calling Nile to open it for me." Erwin yelled back.

Levi could pick up a trace of frustration in Erwin's voice and he sighed loudly before groaning in pain. His stomach started to clench up, almost as if it were empty and hadn't absorbed anything in days. His throat felt parched, his tongue dry. 

_Great. Sweating and dehydrating at the same time._

Little pricks of unease stabbed along his whole body. It felt like he was being stabbed with needles.

"That's it!" Erwin called, banging against the door once more. "I'm getting the key from Nile."

Levi opened his mouth to protest but a pained groan escaped instead. He doubled over as his head started pounding harder than before. He could barely hear Erwin's rushing footsteps fading away through all the pain he was feeling until...

Nothing.

Slamming his eyes shut as his body started to ache before slowly settling, Levi whimpered in exhaustion. The overwhelming pain was seeping away, each second bringing relief to Levi's aching body. Whatever the hell that was, he was in no mood to deal with Erwin's questions. Levi felt like shit already. Biting his lip, he contemplated if leaving before Erwin got back was a good idea. He could send Erwin a text letting him know that he had gone home, but Levi knew that the blonde man would only end up outside his doorstep either way. Still, he didn't want to be here. His flight instinct kicked in and with shaky legs, the raven stood before unlocking the door and rushing out. Something was urging him to leave as fast as he could, some feeling deep down in the pit of his stomach pushing him to go home.

_Now._

Without a second thought, Levi ignored the gaping people staring his way as he slipped past them and out the large double doors of _Marie's._ His mind was blank and his body moved without hesitation. Levi never felt like this in all his years living, but he wasn't exactly fighting it. 

"Always trust your instincts." Levi whispered out, ripping his jacket off. His feet started speeding up with each gasp of air and Levi welcomed the stinging cold entering his lungs. Wrapping his jacket around his waist before tying it, the raven shivered slightly as his body temperature dropped. The heat from before was now completely gone, the headache and pain melting away with each fast step he took. Levi passed many people along the dark street, a few he recognised, the others strangers. _Maria District_ wasn't a big town, but it wasn't small either. Connected with _Sina City_ were Erwin lived, _Maria District_ was the main trading route the rich had to go to pick up supplies. In his younger years while the rich spoiled themselves, Levi was struggling to survive in his own home, _Shiganshina Rose,_ the poorest of the three. It was overpopulated and with _Sina City_ leeching off of _Maria District's_ supplies, _Shiganshina Rose_ suffered. Levi hated rich people. They thought money was power but thanks to his uncle, they learned that _strength_ was power. He lost count over the amount of stuck up rich assholes Kenny killed, the bastards believing that his uncle's mercy could be bought. 

Levi slowed down as he turned onto his street. 

Kenny's mercy was priceless because he didn't have it. Levi spent one day in his care and knew straight away that his uncle was unredeemable. Shaking his head to push back thoughts of his dick of an uncle, Levi paused as he came face to back with someone in front of his shop. The person was tall, but then again, almost everyone was taller than Levi. Frowning, the raven tensed as he recognised the person's back. Anxiety began to creep into his mind as he shivered from the cold. 

_Oh, god no._

Biting back a growl of annoyance, the raven felt his eye twitch as the person spun around, their brown hair blowing in front of their face.

_Anyone, anyone but-_

"Levi!" Hange screeched, rushing over before wrapping her arms around her friend. 

The raven scowled as he pushed the eccentric woman back, marching off towards the back off his shop.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hange called, quickly catching up with him. "And put on your jacket. You'll catch a cold!"

Levi ignored her as he came to a stop outside the alleyway. He blinked and eyed the alley, hoping that _maybe_ he would spot a body, blood, _anything._

He knew he wasn't being crazy. Levi _knew_ exactly what he saw and he _knew_ he wasn't going out of his mind. That didn't change the fact that the body and man were _gone._ It was like they disappeared into thin air. 

"Levi, hun?" Hange asked wearily. "Is this the place?"

"What are you doing here Hange?" The raven snapped out.

Pushing his scepticism of the alley aside, Levi walked through with Hange hot on his heels.

"Erwin called and said you looked sick. He couldn't find you anywhere so he asked me to help him look for you."

"Well, I'm fine. Tell him I came down with a cold and went home."

"Levi," Hange began, stopping him as they reached the door to his apartment upstairs. "What's going on? You've been acting stranger than usual ever since you told me about your mystery man."

The raven let out a sigh before meeting Hange's wine coloured eyes. She was only worried, Levi shouldn't bite her head off for that.

"I-" Levi cut himself off when he noticed a white bag in Hange's hand. "Is that lemon and vanilla ice-cream?"

Hange smirked at him before dangling her spare key and pushing Levi aside to unlock his door.

"Yep! You know what this means?"

Levi fought back a smirk of his own as he locked the door behind him before following her up the stairs.

"Just don't trash my place like last time. Call Petra and Rico while I set up the movies." Levi said.

Once at the top floor, Levi marched towards his kitchen where he knew the ice-cream was.

"Hey!" Hange said, phone in hand while she held the bag over her head. "No ice-cream until the girls come over."

Levi scowled at her before sending her a dark glare.

"Give me my fucking ice-cream, Hange."

"Ah, no. You have a problem with this stuff so I'm keeping it safe. Lord knows how you manage to scarf an entire tub of it down with your tiny build."

"I'm going to scoop your eyes out one day." The raven hissed at her.

Hange simply laughed his threat off as she strutted deeper into his kitchen. Captain came patting to his feet, the black fur rubbing against Levi's legs. The raven knelt to stroke his feline friend and sighed as his purring relaxed Levi's form.

"I texted the girls so they should be over soon enough. But before they do, you and I need to talk."

Levi sighed as he stood before making his way to his sitting-room knowing Hnage would follow. She wasn't going to let him deflect, that much Levi knew. She was a stubborn woman who enjoyed watching him suffer. Sometimes Levi wondered why they were friends, to begin with.

"I know that look," Hange pointed out, taking a seat next to him. "Because I bring you ice-cream."

"I never should have told you about that." Levi mumbled out, leaning back into his couch with a huff. Captain came over before pouncing into his lap, purring in delight when Levi started scratching behind his ears. "And fuck you."

"Sorry, no thanks. We're both gay last I checked." 

Levi grunted, not at all amused. 

"Start talking, short-stack."

Levi frowned at her before looking down at Captain and letting out a tired sigh. Captain meowed before burring himself into Levi's chest, his fur tickling the raven's bare arms. Levi hesitated as he ran his fingers through Captain's fur.

"Do you believe me?"

Hange didn't need to ask to know what Levi was talking about.

"...I do." She replied, although with little scepticism. "You're the most honest person I know so if you told me you saw some man killing another before disappearing with the body in the blink of an eye, I'd believe you. But, that doesn't mean I don't have questions."

"Ask away, but no promises." Levi said.

Hange hummed for a moment in thought.

"Well, you've already told me about what he looked like. Dark hair and greenish eyes, right? Tall and well built and that he managed to murder the other man with a single punch. Not only that but from what you described, his fist _went through_ the man's throat. With that amount of power behind his swing, I'd say he would have to be strong."

"No shit," Levi snorted out. "You would think that's the fucked up part. It looked like he seemed like he was punching a damn softball, not a human _throat."_

"You're saying he was holding back?"

Levi paused and Captain rubbed against his fingers when he stopped petting him as well.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying." Levi confirmed before continuing to stroke Captain's fur.

"Okay, that _is_ fucked up." Hange agreed. "So what? You blink and he's gone, just like that? No threats or warnings about telling someone about what happened?"

"No, not a single one." 

Hange was quiet for a moment before Levi felt her foot nudging against his. 

"You're leaving something out. Tell me." Hange pressed.

Levi looked away as he shuffled deeper into his couch.

"Hange-"

His friend shot him a sharp look and Levi twitched. She would take his ice-cream if he didn't tell her what she wanted to know. He knew this because Hange had done it before.

"You're despicable, you know that?" The raven said dryly.

Hange smirked at him knowing she had won.

"Fine," Levi snapped, throwing his hands up. "He asked for my name twice, when I didn't say shit, that's when he disappeared."

There was no way Levi was telling her about the whole, pinning him to a wall and...

Shaking his head sharply, the raven blinked down at his cat to distract himself from his thoughts.

"Really? Huh, maybe that's why he didn't kill you." Hange concluded, pushing her glasses up to her forehead. "You interested him. That's bad. Most killers who leave a witness alive only do so with the plan of abducting them as their final kill." Hange gave him such a serious look Levi felt slightly uneasy. "But, you _are_ Kenny's nephew," Hange continued. "If it comes down to it, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"If it comes down to it I'm a dead man." Levi corrected. "You know I don't fight anymore."

This was absurd. He was discussing the most _ridiculous_ shit with Hange and acting as if it wasn't... _Ridiculous_.

"Yes, but you were the best." Hange added. "That kind of skill doesn't just go away after five years."

Levi bit back another sigh, realising that he'd been doing it a lot recently. Once upon a time Kenny made millions profiting off an underground fighting ring in the centre of _Sina City_. He wasn't known as Kenny the Ripper for mere amusement. The man _lived_ to fight, crushing his opponents with amazing form and incredible strength and skills. Levi remembered how his mother wanted to protect him from that life after Kenny showed an interest in Levi's potential, so she left _Sina City_ and never looked back. _Shiganshina Rose_ was the only place they could go where Kenny wouldn't follow, but to their surprise, Kenny had left the ring and disappeared. A few of the sadistic rich assholes thought his mother knew his whereabouts, but after Kuchel refused to comply, decided to kill her. Remembering the sound of the gunshot still haunted the raven. After the assholes had left, Kenny seemed to appear out of nowhere before taking Levi and subjecting him to the horrors of his training.

_The weak die first. Don't let your mother's death be in vain, you little runt._

Those were Kenny's only words of encouragement before breaking down Levi's body and moulding it into a weapon. Despite his uncle's teachings, Levi never killed. He did fight for him though, clinging onto the only family he had left. Kenny made more money off of Levi than he did back when he was in the ring himself, and soon Levi became known as the most feared man in the underground ring, surpassing his mentor. It wasn't until Kenny fucked off the face of the earth years later that Levi escaped the ring. The raven went back and remembering his mother's dream, a teashop in _Maria District,_ decided to buy it and settle down. No one ever knew his name or face so Levi was never bothered after leaving, but still, the fear of Kenny coming back to drag him down into that pit of hell kept him up at night. 

Glaring down at seemingly nothing, Levi tried to pull himself away from those dark memories.

"Wow, dark mood in here." Hange laughed, making Levi blink himself back into reality. "Let's talk about something else now, like what the hell happened with Erwin."

Levi relaxed when Hange decided to change the subject. 

-

"Oh, you are _such_ a girl, Levi!" Rico said, slapping the raven's arm lightly as she put her shoes on. "Seriously, I would spend one girls night with you and know straight away that you're gay as fuck."

Levi glared at the silver-haired woman before shoving her out of his door.

"That's it, you're uninvited to our next meeting."

Petra snorted beside him.

"Levi, calling it a ' _meeting_ ' doesn't make it less girly."

"Petra," Hange chimed in. "Leave the poor man in denial. Levi can pretend all he wants but an evening involving chick flics, ice-cream and mani-pedis is the very definition of a girls night."

Growing irritated, the raven pushed his door wider before shoving Hange and Petra through it.

"All of you bitches, out, now."

The trio laughed as they stumbled out the door.

"Okay, okay!" Petra giggled out. "We're going. Don't forget to avoid washing your hands for tonight."

Levi sent her a softer glare.

"Yeah, this isn't the first time I've painted my nails, Petra." Seeing Hange struggling to hold in her laugh, Levi scowled at her. "Not a word."

"I-"

"Hange," Rico interrupted, rolling her eyes. "He looks seconds away from sinking his claws in. Let's go before Levi's mood swings end up killing us all."

Growling lowly at Rico, Levi didn't bother with a rebuttal as he slammed his door in their face.

"H-Hey! Levi!"

Ignoring Hange's whining, the raven patted towards his kitchen as he headed for the fridge. As annoying as they were, Levi was glad. The girls managed to distract him from everything that happened today and Levi was feeling less antsy about it all. Despite all their teasing, Levi wouldn't have them any other way. Petra and Rico were distant cousins who grew up with Hange, so Levi didn't know what to expect when Hange introduced them. Rico was an intimidating woman while Petra was sweet and kind. Levi instantly wanted to keep that kindness from being tainted and saw Petra as the little sister he never had. Rico and he butted heads from time to time but it wasn't without good fun. She was smart enough to know when to stop teasing the raven but Levi still enjoyed their little spats. She was one of the few people who could meet him glare for glare, so Levi naturally liked her. 

Pulling the lemon and vanilla ice-cream from the freezer, Levi picked out a large spoon with his new black coloured nails before shoving the lid off. Two quick taps from his door had the raven spinning towards the entryway. Eyebrow twitching, Levi frowned at his ice-cream before reluctantly placing it on the counter. 

"One of you shits better not have forgotten anything." Levi grumbled out.

Once he made his way to the door, Levi unlocked it before heading back into the kitchen. Nobody could even get to his apartment door without going through the first door downstairs, and only the girls and Erwin had spare keys for it, so Levi didn't think twice to turn his back to whoever decided to interrupt his ice-cream time. 

"Don't even think of taking the ice-cream back," Levi threw over his shoulder before dipping his spoon into the tub. "I'll break your fingers if you so much as think of doing so."

A deep chuckle sounded from the door.

"Oh, I know just how possessive you are of your ice-cream, Levi."

Pausing, Levi turned around and eyed the blonde man in his doorway.

"Erwin, what brings you by?" Levi managed before shoving a spoonful of ice-cream into his mouth.

Erwin went to kick his shoes off but seemed to decide against it.

"I came to see how you were feeling. A cold, was it?"

Levi felt a small twinge of guilt.

"You could have just turned me down like always instead of getting my hopes up."

Now a bigger twinge of guilt. Sighing, the raven dragged another spoonful into his mouth before placing his ice-cream back on the counter.

"I really was feeling like shit," Levi admitted. "But it wasn't before our date. I just... I needed some space, I've had an interesting day."

Erwin raised a brow in question.

"Oh?" The blonde asked, eyeing Levi. "I'd be happy to hear about it?"

Levi hesitated. 

"Or we could always reschedule." Erwin added.

Levi relaxed as the blonde gave him a small smile. Erwin was perceptive as always.

"Yeah, sounds good."

There was an awkward silence as Levi picked his ice-cream back up. The raven stared at Erwin with furrowed brows before taking another mouthful of ice-cream.

"Anything else?" He asked in a muffled voice, swallowing down the cold desert.

Erwin swallowed loudly himself before blinking, dragging his eyes from Levi's face to his shirt.

"Ah, no." The blonde cleared his throat. "No, I'll... Have a goodnight, Levi."

Levi nodded as Erwin spun on his heels before closing the door behind him. Levi didn't realise how tense he was throughout the entire exchange, his shoulders slumping as he let out a sigh. Looking into the nearly empty tub, Levi recalled the three other ice-cream tubs he had thanks to the girls. They sure indulged his obsession despite lecturing him on how unhealthy it was. 

"Screw them, ice-cream tastes good." Levi mumbled out.

Hearing another two sharp knocks at his door, the raven glared hard hoping he could burn whoever was on the other side with the intensity of it.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Slamming his ice-cream down before marching towards the door, Levi yanked it open.

"What the fuck is-" 

The raven's words died in his throat as soon as he opened the door. A tall dark figure was looming over him, chestnut coloured hair framing and hiding one side of his face. Wearing the same hoodie and jeans, the raven's sapphire eyes met teal. Levi's eyes grew wide with shock as he stared. His mouth was open and he was sure his already pale complexion was two shades paler. Meeting his shocked expression with intense eyes, Levi's mystery man took a step, drawing them closer. The raven couldn't move as the stranger rested a hand against his door before leaning down until their faces were inches apart. This close together, Levi could feel the amount of heat radiating off the stranger and confirm that the gleaming object he saw hours ago was indeed a necklace. Levi wanted to study the necklace but the situation gripped his attention instead.

_The fucking serial killer is in my house._

A jolt of realisation snapped Levi into action. With quick reflexes, the raven went to slam his door shut. He pushed against the handle but the door was met with resistance, the stranger's foot in the way.

"Name." The stranger growled out.

Levi's spine prickled with unease with that same demand. At that moment, Hange's words came floating back to him. If he was going to be kidnapped, Levi was going to fight tooth and nail for his freedom. Behind him, Levi heard Captain's meows and his panic grew. Captain was the only thing that he had left of his mother. His cat's parents were the only pets Kuchel took in when Levi was younger. The raven only made it through his dark childhood because of those two little furballs. When his mother died, Levi had lost them and wasn't able to find them again until he bought his shop and met a kitten. Captain was a stray that had washed up one rainy day with startling similarities between the two cats his mother had saved. He couldn't be sure that Captain really _was_ their kitten, but Levi felt slightly less alone due to his presence, and he'd do anything to protect his cat.

With a new resolve, the raven pulled the door back, coming face to face with the stranger for a split second before going to slam it shut again. Not waiting to find out if the stranger's foot was still in the way, Levi raced back into his apartment and towards the kitchen. His phone should be on the counter and Erwin had just left. If possible, Levi could send him a text and while fighting the stranger off, Erwin would be on his way back up to his apartment. It was all he could do. 

Captain meowed once more and Levi 'tched', calling his cat as he struggled to find his phone. He was spending too much time looking for it and wouldn't be surprised if the stranger was already in his home. A hiss snapped Levi's attention towards the door, his phone now forgotten when Captain was nowhere to be seen.

"No, no no no." Levi stuttered out. Making his way back into the hallway, the raven saw his phone across the room and on the couch. He could grab it, but in that time, Captain might-

"Name?" A gentle tone asked.

Levi jumped. Finding the stranger still outside his now open door, the raven gaped at him as Captain rested in his arms. The black cat was happily purring against the stranger's chest. Captain never purred for anyone else except Levi, _no one._

Still in bewilderment, Levi could only stare as the stranger stroked Captain behind the ear before scratching under his chin. Captain snuggled deeper into the stranger's arms. Levi blinked before forcing himself to walk towards the stranger. That same feeling back in the alley was there. Levi didn't know how he knew but the stranger wasn't planning on hurting him. If his gut wasn't any indication, then the stranger's relaxed form was a dead give away.

_He was relaxed too when he killed that man._

Always one to take every necessary precaution, Levi stopped a few feet away from the stranger, narrowing his eyes at the man before sending him a dark glare.

"Let my cat go."

The man flickered his eyes downwards.

"Name." The stranger repeated, less gently than before.

Levi opened his mouth to repeat himself but then closed it.

"Is that all you want? My cat's name?" He asked instead.

When the man didn't move or say anything back, Levi clenched his fists.

"If you let my cat go I'll tell you."

The stranger moved immediately, hunching down before dropping Captain lightly in the doorway. Captain whined slightly before nudging against the stranger's legs, rubbing his face along it. Levi's eye twitched. He wanted to pick his cat up and drag it away from the mystery man, but he held back. Captain was still closer towards the man and if he wanted, the stranger might hurt his cat if Levi made any sudden moves. 

"Okay," the raven breathed out, taking a small step towards the stranger. "I'm going to get my cat and if you stay still, I'll tell you my name."

The stranger raised his eyes from his hunched position. Levi sucked in a breath as the man pinned him with bright eyes before a soft smile seemed to cross the man's face. Levi took that as an agreement, so with slight unease, the raven made his way closer towards the man and his cat. Levi blew out a breath he was holding as the temperature seemed to skyrocket. His skin was starting to grow feverish again, his palms growing clammy once more. 

_Oh, god. Not this, not again, not fucking now._

Levi's legs began to shake as the same dreadful feeling from before at the restaurant seemed to slam into him. Unlike before, the headache and clenching of his stomach didn't take a few minutes to kick in. His body was quickly growing hotter with each second, the pain in his lower body intensifying. He could barely blink back the sudden fogginess behind his eyelids, a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. Before stumbling, Levi reached Captain and fell on his floor. He reached out and let out a shaky 'tch', to which Captain recognised. His cat came rushing into his arms and Levi felt his muscles relaxing despite the sudden ache. 

" _Name_." The stranger all but growled. 

Levi blinked once more before staring at the man in front of him. This close, Levi could make out the dangling gold necklace around his neck. It was a key. Raising his eyes back to meet the strangers, Levi's chest constricted from what he saw. Once more, the stranger's eyes were lit up, flashing a bright emerald. His nostrils were flared and his body seemed to be shaking just like before he disappeared. Realising this, Levi began to panic once more but for an entirely different reason. His instincts were screaming for him to not let the man leave, to do whatever he could to keep the stranger there with him. 

_He can't leave me._

Throwing rationality out the window, Levi snuggled Captain against his chest with one hand before using the other to reach out and grip the man's arm. The touch seemed to shook the stranger, his eyes widening slightly. Levi's heated skin seemed to cool from the contact despite the stranger's high body temperature.

"Levi," The raven gasped out, hoping it'll keep the stranger from leaving. "It's Levi." 

His heart started racing as the stranger froze, staring at him. The man looked at Captain in his arms before meeting Levi's eyes once more, a brow raised.

"C-Captain." Levi managed out before slamming his eyes shut. The throbbing in his head wasn't going away and his body was growing even more feverish. His hand was the only thing that seemed relatively normal. 

_The hand touching him._

Levi must have been crazy to do this, but he couldn't take the pain anymore. His spine was aching and his entire body felt like pins and needles. His stomach was cramping up and an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction was emanating from his hand. Without a second thought, the raven shuffled closer to the stranger before resting his body against his. The long low sigh that escaped him didn't go unnoticed by the stranger. Levi felt hesitant fingers wrapped around the back of his head before the stranger shifted from their position.

"Levi," The stranger tried out. "Stay awake."

The raven hummed before digging his head further into the man's chest. His body felt so tired and sore, the relief from the strangers touch pushing him to close his eyes. 

_Why does he feel so good?_

"Levi." The stranger tried again. The raven felt the sudden heat from before escaping his body, the pain disappearing. The headache clouding his mind slowly trickled away but enough so that Levi realised what he was doing instantly. Shooting up with a gasp, the raven stared wide-eyed at the man before stumbling to push him away.

"G-Get away from me." Levi hissed out, dragging Captain along with him deeper into his apartment. Captain's chest rumbled with a growl in displeasure from being moved around so harshly. The stranger lifted himself off the floor before giving Levi his hand.

"Let me-"

Levi quickly stood on his own, Captain pressed protectively against his chest as he cut the stranger off.

"No, get away from me or I'm calling the cops." Levi's voice came out more rushed than he wanted it to. 

The stranger frowned down at him before stepping into his apartment. Levi blinked in surprise as he shuffled back. The stranger kicked his door close, locked it before leaning against it, trapping them both inside. The raven felt his temper flare up.

"Get the hell out of my house." He growled out. 

The stranger simply stood there, eyeing him before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"No." He simply replied. "I can't. Not after I imprinted on you."

Levi went to make a sarcastic remark but stopped at the man's words.

"What, the fuck, are you on about? If this is about that crazy shit you pulled off in the alley, I don't want to know."

That was a complete lie. Levi was curious as hell as to how the man managed to disappear into thin air. And how he managed to enter his house. Narrowing his eyes at the man, Levi placed Captain down before moving towards the stranger.

"How the fuck did you even manage to get into my house?"

The stranger stared at him for a few seconds before looking down at his feet.

"If you let me stay, I'll tell you anything you want to know." The man answered slowly.

Levi didn't trust him not to kill him during that time. For all he knew, the man was playing him just for Levi to lower his guard before striking. He couldn't take that chance, no matter how much his instincts told him to trust this stranger.

" _Get out_." The raven repeated, spitting the words out with as much malice as possible. Levelling the man with his most deadly glare, Levi stared him down in hopes of scaring the stranger into leaving. 

The stranger chose instead to kick his shoes off, pushing them against the doorway. Levi hid his irritation at the audacity. 

"Listen to me," The stranger urged. "Only I can help you when your... Heat gets to the point of-"

"Hold the fuck up. My _what?"_ Levi interrupted. "Did you drug me back in the alley? Is that why my body's acting fucked up?"

The stranger blinked at him before his lips curved into a smile. Levi refused to acknowledge how attractive he looked.

"Not exactly."

Levi frowned at him as Captain purred against his leg. If this fucker drugged him with god knows what, Levi wanted to know. It might even be poison. With how his body had reacted twice now, Levi wasn't too sure if it _was_ poison. 

Once again, he started to feel that prickling sense of unease as his body started to heat up. Levi scrunched his face up as his body was slammed with that same heat, that same pain even quicker than before. Captain whimpered against his leg before dashing out of the walkway and into the kitchen. Levi looked towards where Captain had gone, wanting to touch his cat to calm his suddenly racing heart and slick palms. 

"C-Captain?" He called, trying to move his feet towards the direction his cat ran off to. "' _tch_ '. Come here." No reply. Fighting back a whimper of his own, Levi felt his legs starting to buckle from his weight. 

"I can still leave if you want me to." The stranger said. 

Blinking past the fog clouding his sight, the raven bit back a growl. The cramps were starting to become unbearable, the feeling of his stomach clenching leaving behind white flashes of pain. His head was throbbing so hard Levi could hear it. His instincts were screaming at him again, telling him to get closer to the man.

_Touch him and it'll go away._

Not wanting to deal with the pain any longer, Levi swayed slightly as he stumbled towards the stranger. 

"N-No, don't..." He didn't even know what he was trying to say. Levi just wanted the pain to go away. "Make it, _stop_."

Levi couldn't tell what the man's expression was, but he did fell arms wrapped around his form. The sudden touch instantly washed away the pain and without shame, the raven dragged himself closer into the stranger's embrace.

" _You're going to.._." 

Was all Levi could catch before his eyelids slid close.

-

_Burning... My body is burning..._

Levi groaned as he struggled to pull himself from his dreamless sleep.

_My body is on fire... Need him..._

His brain was in turmoil. Forcing his eyes open, the raven blinked back his sleepiness and noticed how dark his room was. Looking towards the bedside table, Levi noticed that it was two in the morning. He must have slept for a few hours after the girls came... Over.

Shooting out of bed, the raven gasped as he struggled before being dragged back down into his bed. His body was so fatigued he could barely lift his hand without struggling.

"Don't move."

Levi went rigid as the stranger's voice from last night called beside him. Twisting around, the raven swallowed loudly as the men's shirtless form blocked his sight. His bed light was still on so Levi could make out the tanned skin in front of him, the muscular built and bord shoulders. Bright eyes stared at him as dark locks of hair curtained one side of his face. The stranger's arm was draped over his waist, the heavy appendage reducing the raven's movements.

_If I wasn't gay before I certainly am now._

Serial killer or not, this man was fucking hot.

_No, no. Bad Levi. You do not drool over serial killers._

Shaking his head, Levi noticed his lack of clothing as well and began to panic.

"W-What the-"

"Relax," The stranger urged, removing his arm. "It was the quickest way to remove your... Fever?"

Levi wasn't comfortable with the way the man had said that.

"What were you going to call it?" He asked, shuffling away from the stranger in his bed.

"You... You wouldn't like what I call it. I'm also not going to kill you. I couldn't even if I wanted to."

The man was either dumbly honest or a damn good actor. Levi couldn't pick up any traces of dishonesty in his tone of voice, and Levi was a very good judge of character. Captain also hated his friends, so he wasn't too fond of strangers. If his cat trusted this idiot not to hurt him, Levi would hear him out and also get a few questions answered as well.

"What's your name?" Levi asked, wanting to know what to call his possible murderer. 

The stranger sat up before stretching out his arms.

"Eren." 

"Well, _Eren_. Want to tell me why the hell you're so hell-bent about being in my house? If it's-"

"It's not because you saw me kill that asshole in the alley." Eren cut him off. "It's because I imprinted on you. I wasn't planning on meeting you so soon but," he shrugged before swinging his legs to the side of the bed. "I'm glad I did."

Levi watched as Eren walked to his side of the bed before taking Levi's face into his hands. The raven didn't fight him for whatever reason he couldn't name at that moment.

"You're beautiful, Levi."

Levi's heart kicked up before heat started flooding into his cheeks. 

"Wow," Eren gaped out, a large smile on his face. "You can't take compliments, can you? It's-"

"If you call me cute I'll gut you." Levi bit out, turning his head away, but Eren's grip was strong. Levi met his determined glare before sinking back into the bed. 

_His eyes are so intense._

"Levi."

The raven avoided Eren's glare. Rough fingers gripped his chin tighter before squeezing, dragging a gasp out of the raven. Reluctantly, Levi met Eren's eyes and swallowed at how intense they were.

"I have to go," Eren forced out. 

Levi frowned at him but before he could say anything, warm soft lips were pressed against his own. Eren took Levi's shook as an opportunity to bite against the raven's lips. Levi let out a shaky exhale at the slight sting of Eren's bite before a wet hot tongue was sliding its way into his mouth. Levi's body started to heat up again, but unlike before, it was a pleasant kind of heat. There was no headache, no cramps and no pins and needles. All Levi felt was the same ache but with the need to drag Eren closer. His mind was swirling and his stomach swimming. As Eren's tongue stroked against his own, Levi struggled to hold back a whimper from how good Eren's kiss felt. With trembling fingers, the raven gripped Eren's hands still pinching his chin. Levi's lower body started to throb then, his arousal coming to life while a newfound heat appeared in his lower back. Clenching his thighs together, the raven took a deep breath through his nose as Eren bit against his lip once more, dragging out that whimper Levi had refused to let go. 

Eren suddenly pulled back with a gasp, a string of saliva still connecting them. If Levi's mind wasn't so hazy he would have found it repulsive.

"I'll be back." 

Levi blinked back the haziness from his eyes as Eren pulled away. The heat from before started to slowly disappear and Levi hated that he... _Missed it._

"W-Wait," He rasped out. "Where... I mean, when?"

Eren's hoodied eyes lowered to his mouth before snapping back to meet Levi's questioning gaze. He offered a small smile and sudden panic began to grip the raven. 

_Not again, no-_

But it was too late. The moment Levi allowed himself that split second to blink, Eren was once again gone.


	2. Chapter Two

Levi hated tardiness. Opening his shop five minutes late would ruin the rest of the day for him. He had no one to blame but himself for that. Staying up all night wondering if the gorgeous man with amazing eyes was real, left the raven more fatigued than usual. Levi might not get much sleep due to his insomnia, but he did still need at least a few hours to function around his shop. There was a time he could stay up for days as a requirement for Kenny’s training, but five years out of shape made him soft. Sometimes Levi missed the predictable routine despite how tedious it was. Because right then, the door opened and chimed, dragging his attention towards his first customer of the day.

 _Humanitea’s Best_ wasn’t a very popular shop even though it was the only one in Maria District. Levi didn’t get many customers and his regulars usually arrived during noon and before closing time. An occasional few would show up in the mornings but it was rare, so rare that Levi was surprised when someone walked into his shop before stopping a few feet into it. Even more surprising, it was Levi’s not so mysterious man.

“Levi.”

The raven blinked twice before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked again and Eren was still very much real. He had changed from last Levi saw him. Still wearing the same baggy long hoodie, Eren now had on black sweats and a matching large shirt. With brown boots and his dark locks tied into a bun with a few strands dangling over his face, Levi had to admire him for a few seconds longer than necessary. Regardless of his dress choice, Eren looked elegant. He didn’t have to try to clean up nice, he naturally already was.

“Levi?”

Meeting Eren’s eyes, the raven blinked again before hiding his embarrassment behind a scowl.

“So, planning to murder anyone tonight?” Levi asked dryly.

Eren pushed his hands into his pockets before leaning his weight against his left side. He scanned the petite shop before replying.

“Not unless I’ve been given a reason to.”

_I’m having a conversation with the same man I saw kill someone in cold blood._

Hoping to regain some of his common sense, Levi nodded towards his door.

“Out. I don’t serve murderers.”

“Don’t act like you haven’t thought of murdering someone, Levi. You and I aren’t so different.”

The raven shot him a glare, feeling uncomfortable with the way Eren acted as if he knew him.

“Thinking and doing are two different things.” Levi replied hotly.

“Did you ever stop to wonder why I killed that man?”

Levi opened his mouth to tell Eren it didn’t matter but stopped before considering his words. Eren hadn’t done anything so far to hurt him, so it wouldn’t be completely ridiculous to try and see things from his point of view.

“Fine,” Levi caved. “Why’d you kill him?”

Eren turned to look over his shoulder. Levi watched as he went to flip the ‘ _open_ ’ sign around before locking the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Levi barked, making his way over towards his door. Before he could change it back though, Eren stood in his way.

“What is it with you and trapping me in a room?” Levi asked harshly, throwing his hands up. “You get off on confining strangers in their own houses and shops?”

Eren’s lip seemed to tremble before his teeth sunk into the bottom flesh, stopping him from smiling.

“Maybe. If you want to know, you’ll go sit down and allow me to explain.”

Levi wanted to punch him in the face.

_Where does he get off on bossing me around in my own shop?_

_The nerve of this bastard._

Levi bit back his objections though. He was more curious than anything so for the time being, he’ll play Eren’s little game.

Clenching his jaw, the raven let out a large sigh before marching back to his counter. Levi dragged the damp cloth he was using to clean the surface and slid it across it. Eren’s footsteps could be heard before he stopped right in front of Levi. The raven was glad he had a large counter between them, still, he could feel Eren’s body heat even across from it.

_That‘s not normal._

The key was even more noticeable now, the golden object gleaming in the early morning light and complimenting Eren’s now more emerald looking eyes.

“I like your shop by the way,” Eren said, eyeing the cosy space once more before offering Levi a small smile. “It smells as good as it feels.”

Levi ignored the compliment.

“Flattery doesn’t work on me if that’s what you’re hoping for.”

Eren’s brows raised slightly.

“It seemed to work las-“

“Why’d you kill him?” Levi cut him off.

Levi could see Eren fighting back a smirk as he shrugged before leaning against the counter.

“He tried to rape my friend.”

Levi stared at him. If Eren was telling the truth, he could understand wanting to beat the guy up, but murder? That seemed a bit on the extreme side.

Seeming to know what he was thinking, Eren pushed away from the counter before staring at it.

“If he hadn’t succeeded with others then I might have let him live.” Eren added quietly.

Levi saw how rigid he had gone, his hands clenched by his sides and his jaw set. Eren looked about ready to break something, but that didn’t stop Levi from voicing his thoughts.

“So what? That doesn’t give you the right to play judge and executioner.”

Eren’s fist slammed against the counter. Already expecting this, Levi didn’t even blink.

“That man had money and connections.” Eren hissed out, snapping his eyes to Levi’s. “Even if I had called the cops with excruciating evidence, he would have walked. The system is fucked up. The only way we can keep bastards like him from hurting anyone is by removing them completely off the face of this earth.”

That same passion and determination Levi saw from him last night dwarfed in comparison to the raging fire that lit up his eyes now. Eren’s expression could only be described as something burning with murderous intent. Levi witnessed at once that the man before him truly believed killing criminals was the only way to protect this world. The raven wouldn’t fault him for believing that, after all, Eren wasn’t wrong. But condemning those very criminals to death made Eren just as bad as they are, if not worse. Eren had already decided this was the path he was going to take, Levi could see it in his eyes. That meant Eren would one day aim to purge Levi of his past sins as well.

The raven couldn’t say anything and instead, picked his damp cloth back up. Filling the silence with the sounds of the cloth sliding back and forth, Levi avoided Eren’s persistent stare.

“You think I’m crazy.”

Levi paused.

“No,” the raven then replied, not looking up. “I think you’re a monster.”

Levi heard a dark chuckle before a fist banged against the edge of his cloth, stopping him from moving it.

“And yet I’m still here.” Eren said softly.

Levi looked up then, meeting that memorising stare with a cool one of his own.

“I told you to get out. If you want to leave I’d be more than happy about it.”

“If you really wanted me out you would have forced me to leave, Levi.” Eren replied. “I know you’re more than capable of manhandling someone three times your size.”

The raven continued to stare at him before ripping the cloth out of Eren’s hold.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Eren didn’t answer, choosing instead to lean over the counter until he was mere inches from Levi’s face. The raven blinked, finding Eren’s face much closer than before. Feeling the heat licking against his skin, the abnormally high temperature was strange but not unwelcome. Levi’s body was betraying him as he unconsciously leaned in until he could feel Eren’s breath fanning on his face. His eyelids dropped slightly and his heart was racing. Levi struggled to look away. Eren’s eyes were so memorising, he felt himself being drawn in. At the back of his mind though, the raven wanted to step back, but he wasn’t a coward. He’d take whatever Eren threw at him and send it back tenfold. If Eren tried-

Sharp banging allowed Levi the excuse to escape Eren’s proximity. Blinking from his daze, he rushed past Eren’s form and towards his door.

Simply being that close to Eren had Levi’s palms sweating up and his stomach twisting. If Eren’s presence helped trigger whatever the hell was happening to his body, Levi needed to stay as far away from him as possible. Eren being a serial killer was also another good reason.

Finding non-other than Erwin behind the locked door, Levi hesitated to open it. The blond cop had his hair slicked back today, not a single strand out of place. With that amount of hair jell Levi didn’t think they could even with the slight breeze that morning. He was wearing one of his deep blue suits, the colour complimenting his sky blue eyes and complexion. Being the best cop, he had slight privileges to the dress code. Erwin also would never be caught dead even the slightest bit dishevelled. Despite looking like he just stepped out of a magazine ad, Levi still couldn’t help but compare him with Eren. The tall tanned man wasn’t as bulky as Erwin, but he was definitely built. Levi could recall the muscles he saw last night when Eren stretched and his tanned skin only defined his form even more. Eren’s brown locks reminded Levi of rich chocolate, the strands smooth looking. Compared to Erwin’s straight hair, Eren’s had slight waves that looked so tempting Levi’s fingers twitched with the need to glide into them. Eren’s eyes were also otherworldly. Nobody had else like him. Erwin’s own bright blue gaze was plain in comparison.

_Why the fuck am I comparing one of my best friends with the damn serial killer in my shop?_

Levi scowled at his thoughts and flipping his sign back over before staring down at the door handle. He could let Erwin in, tell the blond about what Eren did and wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Eren ever again.

So why was he hesitating?

“Levi? Who’s that?” Erwin asked behind the door, his deep voice slightly muffled. “Are you okay? Your sign-“

That was another thing. Erwin’s voice was too deep. Eren’s was a few octave’s higher but in no way squeaky. Eren’s voice was smooth and slightly rugged, his words always coming out with unwavering conviction.

_Stop complimenting the fucking serial killer._

Not wanting to procrastinate any longer, the raven unlocked the door before letting his blond friend in. He heard a deep inhale from right behind him and Levi almost jumped. Eren’s warmth was pressed up against his back, a few inches separating them. Levi would lean back and they would be touching. The raven was slightly rattled though. Nothing could slip past him. Eren had managed to walk right up against his back without making a single sound and Levi detecting him. His form was now tensed from the idea of Eren being able to sneak up on him like that.

“Levi, who’s this?” Erwin repeated.

Levi bit the inside of his cheek as Erwin stepped into his store. His friend had a tense air about him, his smile strained and his eyes slightly narrowed. Behind him, Levi could literally feel Eren’s aura spiking with unease. Levi knew Erwin was a good fighter, the blond could hold his own against the raven so he was skilled. But if Eren was able to pin Levi against a wall with such speed that wasn’t considered human, Erwin wouldn’t stand a chance against the killer. For some reason, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind told the raven to calm Eren down. It was such a sudden urge that Levi couldn’t help but lean against Eren’s chest, not even trying to be discreet.

_Screw these new hormones._

Because that was what it felt like; bloody fucking hormones. Eren’s arm reached around his form and Levi didn’t fight as it wrapped around his stomach.

“Who’s this, gorgeous?” Eren voiced against his ear.

Levi scowled as he twisted around to shot Eren a glare. He would play Eren’s little game as long as he didn’t hurt Erwin, but pet names? That’s where Levi drew the line.

“Eren,” the raven hissed out, nodding towards Erwin. “That’s Erwin Smith, a very close friend who I deeply care about.” Levi made sure to hold Eren’s eye as he said this. “Also, he’s a cop.”

Maybe letting Eren know that little bit of information might help the killer lower his hostility. It was obvious Eren wanted to claw Erwin’s eyes out with how darkly he was glaring at his blond friend, but if Eren knew that Erwin wasn’t a threat, then maybe-

“I’ve never seen you before.” Erwin began his ton slightly off. “You mind letting Levi go? He doesn’t seem very comfortable.”

Erwin and his damn superiority complex. He wasn’t asking despite how friendly his words were, he was demanding. Eren didn’t look like the type to take to orders well, and Levi was right. He felt an arm slip around his waist before he was pushed aside and Eren stood in front of him, blocking Erwin’s view.

“Eren,” Levi tried, side-stepping from the killer's side. “Stop it, he’s just worried that a stranger is in my shop. Can you-“

Eren snapped his head back and Levi sucked in a deep breath. His eyes were hardened and his form was tense. Eren looked seconds away from pouncing.

“Excuse me, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Erwin’s calm voice came.

Eren’s eyebrow twitched, and Levi clenched his jaw. Eren wasn’t going to budge, and neither was Erwin. He needed to do something before they started brawling in his shops. He didn’t need a bigger mess to clean up along with his daily routine, it would be an inconvenience.

Also, they might end up killing each other.

“Erwin, can you call Hange?” The raven blurted out.

There was too much tension he could feel it choking him. Erwin never looked away from Eren though, but he did raise a brow in question. Levi wouldn’t have asked him to call Hange unless he felt it absolutely necessary.

“I don’t think I need to call her. I’m cable of throwing someone out all on my own.” Erwin’s reply was clip and left no room for argument. Usually, the cop looked for every necessary possibility to avoid violence so Levi was thrown back by his reply.

“He needs to leave.” Eren suddenly chocked out, his eyes now pleading with Levi.

Levi saw Erwin’s fingers twitching and could feel Eren’s heat multiply. The atmosphere surrounding the two was electric and Levi was praying neither of them made the first move. Erwin was a second away from reaching for his gun and even though Levi suspected Eren wasn’t normal, he somehow was worried for the brunet’s safety. Levi needed to do something to ease the tension in the room. Erwin was the definition of political but Levi already tried talking him down. Eren on the other hand, well Levi didn’t know him enough to decide his rationality, and from what he knew so far, Eren was dangerous.

“Okay,” Levi breathed out slowly. “If you two want to fight you take it outside. I prefer you don’t, but if you insist on ignoring me then get the hell out of my shop.”

He probably should have tried telling them to calm down but Levi wasn't the most tactful person in the world. Hell, there was a time he would have joined the fight himself. The last thing Eren and Erwin needed though was more fuel to add to the fire.

Erwin rested his hand on top of his gun handle but thankfully didn't unholster it. His blue gaze slipped towards Levi.

”I don't want to start anything, Levi. But from my perspective, this entire situation looks-”

”I know how it looks,” Levi cut in, holding his friends gaze. ”And I'm telling you that there's no need for that.” The raven nodded towards his hand. ”Eren is...”

Levi didn’t know how to finish that sentence. They certainly weren’t friends but they also weren’t strangers now either. Levi would have preferred they stayed strangers after what he saw in the alley. The last thing he needed was getting familiar with a damn serial killer. It would be like interacting with Kenny all over again.

At least Eren doesn’t seem completely unredeemable.

_I think._

Levi then turned his attention towards Eren’s frozen form. Surprisingly, the brunet’s attention was no longer on Erwin and all the animosity from before seemed to have disappeared. Levi ignored his sudden unease at Eren’s different demeanour.

“Captain likes him,” He blurted out instead. “So he’s harmless.”

Eren was anything but harmless. Levi had the best poker face so he doubted Erwin would be able to tell if he was lying.

“Your cat likes him?” His blond friend asked slowly, furrowing his brows as he eyed Levi sceptically. “He hates me and I’ve never had any intentions of hurting you. You’re seriously trusting this man because your pet cat does? How does he even... Wait, so he’s been in your apartment?”

Erwin was right, Captain despised him. Levi’s cat always disappeared whenever Erwin dropped by to say hello, pissed in the cops shoes whenever he decided to stay for some tea and even hissed before scratching Erwin’s arms once when the blond man went to tap Levi on the shoulder. Ever since then Captain always hopped into Levi’s lap whenever Erwin came to watch a movie with him. Levi had never seen a grown man tiptoeing around a little cat before, but it was always hilarious so Levi never bothered trying to get Captain to like Erwin. It wasn’t like his cat would listen anyway. If he decided he hated someone, it was impossible to change his mind.

“Yes, but-“ Levi answered Erwin, before being cut off when there were two sharp knocks at his door.

A tall woman dressed in red with long black hair was standing outside, her arms crossed with clear frustration. The raven couldn’t see her face as she wore large black sunglasses and a red scarf covering the bottom half of it, but Levi could tell her attention was immediately focused on him.

Beside Levi, Eren snapped to attention as he made his way towards Erwin.

“You should move,” He said lowly. “She won’t knock again.” His tone indicated that he was warning the cop and Levi shuffled where he stood.

“I’m awfully popular this morning.” The raven grumbled out.

Erwin of course couldn’t argue with Eren even if he wanted to. The cop only hesitated for a moment before moving aside, allowing Eren to open the door. The brunet barely had time to back away when the woman was wrapping her arms around him. Eren grunted from the force but patted her back lightly.

“You weren’t supposed to follow me.”

Levi was able to pick up Eren’s voice as he kissed the woman’s head. He felt his stomach boiling with an unfamiliar feeling and his hands clenched unconsciously.

Levi instantly disliked the woman in red.

Even though Eren was covering her form Levi could see as her scarf fell from her face that she had a pale complexion. She was also a few inches taller than Eren since she was wearing high heel boots.

Levi’s vision was then blocked by a face as cold blue eyes narrowed down at him.

”How exactly do you two know each other?”

The question was innocent enough but Erwin all but hissed it at him. Levi wanted to reply but didn’t know what he could say. For some reason, he didn’t want to rat Eren out. Maybe he should call Hange now. She was closer with him than she was with Erwin so Levi was sure the doctor would help cover for him.

“I’m going to call Hange.” Levi redirected, ignoring Erwin’s stare.

“What are you hiding?” The cop pushed. “Who is that man, Levi? You called him Eren before. Is he new in town?”

As if summoned by his name, Eren made his way back over. Levi looked behind Erwin’s shoulder as the brunet penetrated the blond with a dark scowl. He looked like he was lighting Erwin on fire with that gaze.

As if sensing Eren’s glare, Erwin bristled but didn’t turn around. The lady in red stepped beside Eren and Levi found himself once more being eyed by her. She was wearing an equal scowl like Eren but this time it was aimed at him.

Levi scowled back.

_Feelings mutual. I hate your guts too._

The tense atmosphere from before was picking back up again. Levi still cared enough for his shop not to start a fight though. But if anyone started throwing fists, he wasn’t going to hold back from kicking them all out.

It was the sound of a phone going off that snapped everyone back into place. Levi never thought he’d be happy to hear the obnoxious personal ringtone of Hange’s cackle. The crazy doctor had programmed it into his phone when Levi’s back was turned a couple of years ago and no matter how many times Levi deleted it, she always changed it back. He even blocked her but Hange showed up at his door whenever she needed to talk to him. Levi unblocked her after her third unannounced visit. He would rather suffer through a stupid ringtone and a phone call with the woman than dealing with the physical version. It was less of a headache.

Levi was still in a scowling contest with the woman but after a few more seconds, she let out a huff and turned her head. Eren stopped burning his gaze into Erwin’s back long enough to meet Levi’s eyes.

“Are you going to answer that?” The brunet asked, his voice bouncing off the walls. It was so quiet Levi could hear everyone’s breathing.

“Yeah.” The raven cleared his dry throat. “Try not to murder each other.”

Levi looked at Erwin before making his way back to his counter. His phone had stopped ringing the moment Eren spoke but Levi wasn’t worried. Knowing Hange, she would call twice more times before making her to his shop with worry. Despite being a doctor, Hange had an awful lot of time on her hands. She had once cancelled an appointment she had when Levi didn’t pick up her calls. It was around the time they recently became friends and Levi was naive to her persistent nature. Sina’s Hospital Centre couldn’t afford to fire her so Hange made her own hours.

It was when Levi reached his phone that it started rigging once more. He quickly picked it up and turned back to eye the three people still frozen in place.

_“Levi! How are you? Nanaba and I are in the area since she wants to meet you. Just a heads up that we’re right around the corner. We would have been there earlier but I told her there was no way you were shaking her hand until she took a bottle of hand sanitiser along with her, so we had to stop at the shops-“_

“Hange, stop talking and just get your ass over here.” Levi hesitated while he eyed Eren and the woman. “Prepare her to meet a few others as well.”

_“Really? You have company this early in the morning? Now I definitely can’t wait to see you! Oh, I see your shop!”_

She hung up before Levi could reply. He gave it five seconds before Hange would be here. It wasn’t enough time to prepare Eren or the woman. And what about Hange? The moment she saw Eren she was going to-

“Levi, we’re here!”

His door slammed open and Hange rushed in, only to stop short as two pairs of unfamiliar faces eyed her. She was wearing her long white doctor's coat which meant she just came from a night shift at the hospital. Levi doubted she slept at all. She made her job more taxing than it needed to be, but Hange had to keep herself busy to keep herself sane. Or as sane as she was.

Beside her was a woman with short dirty blonde hair swept to the side. She had gentle light blue eyes and a hard smile. Levi could tell she had survived through a lot. There was an air about her he recognised from the people he used to fight. None of them knew a happy childhood and Levi instantly respected this woman for seeming to stay positive despite all that. She too was dressed in a white coat and Levi recalled Hange telling him that her girlfriend was a doctor as well.

“Oh,” Hange swept her sharp gaze over the room and paused at Eren. “I didn’t know people drank tea this early in the morning.”

She met Levi’s eye and the raven discreetly shook his head. Hange understood and brightened back up.

“I love meeting new people!” She exclaimed, rushing forward towards Eren, only to be stopped by the woman in red. Hange eyed her but the woman didn’t move and remained silent.

Hange instead chose to greet Erwin, catching the tension in the air.

“Erwin, have you met Nanaba?”

The said woman stepped up and shook Erwin’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr Smith,” Nanaba said politely. “I’m Nanaba, Hange’s significant other.”

Levi saw Erwin give her a tight nod.

“Likewise.” Erwin looked like he was about to say more when his pocket buzzed. Erwin hesitated before releasing Nanaba’s hand.

The blond man slipped his hand into his pocket, silencing his phone before snapping his head towards Levi.

“I’ll be coming by later.”

Levi rolled his eyes but Erwin was already making his way towards the door. His friend had questions and Levi already knew Erwin wouldn’t leave later until he got them.

Erwin sent Hange a look.

“My shift started thirty minutes ago and they need me back at the station. I’d like it if you’ll stay with Levi until I come back.”

Hange frowned at Erwin.

“And he needs babysitting because?”

Erwin’s eye twitched and Levi snorted.

“I think I’ll be fine on my own,” Levi added, slightly annoyed at Erwin. “You can leave.”

Erwin turned on his heel and all but slammed the door on his way out.

“What’s got his eyebrows in a bunch?” Hange questioned. She turned her attention back to Eren before grinning. “Oh, I think I might know.”

She sent Levi a wink and the raven scowled at her.

Nanaba chuckled nervously as she swiftly walked towards Levi.

“So you’re the infamous Levi,” She smirked slightly and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitiser. “Would you humour me with an arm wrestle?”

Levi watched as she popped the cap open before squeezing out a large dollop into her palms.

“Hange tells me you’re pretty strong.” Nanaba raised a brow as she rubbed her hands together.

“Oh, he’s a monster.” Hange laughed out.

She still was eyeing Eren and the woman in red seemed to be growing uncomfortable the closer she got. Eren looked like he had enough of standing around like a statue as he marched towards Levi. As if drawn to him like a magnet, the woman navigated to his side, Hange right on their heel.

The raven kept his attention on Nanaba though, not wanting to be distracted. The said blonde rested her elbow on the counter and stretched her fingers. Her knuckles looked worn and her palm rough. Levi would bet that under her white coat she was toned.

_Maybe a boxer or ex-military?_

Levi would bet the latter. Nanaba had the haircut and also the aura of a solider. He was suddenly looking forward to this.

Levi stretched out his arm and met Nanaba’s stern look with a bored one of his own. Levi could sense Eren, Hange and the woman in red all watching in interest. So he gripped Nanaba’s hand and waited for Hange to count them in.

“Okay, I’m not going to check because I know you both wouldn’t cheat,” She started excitedly. “Even though I already know who’s going to win, this is going to be interesting. Okay, ready?”

Nanaba nodded while Levi continued to look her in the eye. It had been a while since he last entertained himself in a simple arm-wrestling match. He might not fight anymore but that didn’t mean he simply slacked off. Levi trained almost every day, Kenny’s voice never leaving his mind. Levi didn’t push himself as much as he used to but he still kept himself in shape. All that training and not a single-use for them. He hoped Nanaba would offer him the slight challenge he was craving.

“Go!”

Nanaba surprised him when she didn’t quickly go to slam his hand onto the counter. She was still smirking at him although her eyes were hard. She knew not to underestimate him. Levi trusted Hange not to tell a single soul about his past but that didn’t mean his friend wouldn’t brag about how strong he was. Nanaba probably already knew enough about him like Levi did about her, which wasn’t much more than her name and who she was as a person.

Levi felt Nanaba’s fingers twitch as she slightly strained from their hold. Levi knew the moment to strike straight away.

Levi slammed her hand against the counter the moment her smirk faltered. Her knuckles met the hard counter and the sound rang throughout the silent shop.

Nanaba’s mouth pressed into a thin line and her eyebrow twitched.

“I like you.” Levi declared.

Nanaba blinked at him.

“I can see Hange wasn’t exaggerating like usual. I think I like you too.”

Hange clapped and chuckled loudly.

“Yes! I knew you two would get along.” She shifted her focus on Eren and the woman in red once more. “Now, this has taken a while to ask but who are you two?”

Eren glanced at Levi before turning back to Hange.

“I’m Eren and this is my stepsister, Monika.” The brunet replied.

Levi’s dislike of the woman lessened slightly.

“Oh, so you’re Eren.” Hange said. “Levi’s said so much about you!”

Both Eren and the woman snapped their attention towards him.

“Really?” Eren narrowed his eyes at him before a cold grin slipped onto his face. “All good things I hope.”

The woman in red lifted her scarf back to cover her mouth and Levi saw her hands clenched tightly into fists.

“Oh, he made you sound so interesting,” Hange continued, a cold smile of her own aimed at Eren. “Tell me, are you human?”

“Okay,” Levi decided to cut in. “I have a business to run here so I’d appreciate it if you all fucked off. Preferably right now.”

Hange and Eren met eyes for a second before his friend snapped her attention to him.

“But Levi,” she pouted. “I came to buy some tea.”

Nanaba slipped her hand around Hange’s arm before tugging slightly.

“I think we should get some breakfast first before coming back.” The blonde woman suggested.

“I like you even more now.”

Nanaba sent Levi a large smile before trying to drag Hange out.

“I’ll be sure to come by and try some tea,” Nanaba replied. “Your shop is really cute.”

Levi fought back a grimace at that word and instead nodded.

“But, but-“

Hange’s protests washed away as Nanaba pulled her out of the shop. Levi was about to let out a sigh of relief only to stop when a hand was slammed on his counter. He looked up and met the woman in red probably glaring at him. She was still wearing those black sunglasses so Levi couldn’t be sure but he could feel it.

“You’re not deaf, are you?” The raven bit out. “I said leave.”

The woman balled her hands. Eren stepped to her side before pulling her away.

“Let’s go,” he held Levi’s gaze as he wrapped an arm around the woman. “I’ll be back.”

Levi wanted to ask Eren so many questions but he bit his tongue. Staying away from Eren meant the less he knew the better.

-

Eren indeed came back.

After the bizarre incident that morning, Levi didn’t expect to see Eren so soon. He hoped to spend a bit longer to catch his thoughts and deal with all the crazy events that happened in the past day, but Eren didn’t seem like he was leaving again any time soon.

The moment Eren and the woman who he now knew as Monika walked out, Levi replayed their encounter over and over in his head. Lost in thought, Levi spaced out trying to figure out the puzzle that was Eren. It seemed he had others to figure out as well. Judging from Erwin’s behaviour, Levi was wary about their impending conversation, not knowing what to expect. In all the five years he had known the cop, never once did Erwin act as he had. His actions were a mystery just like how Eren was able to walk away without a second glance. Levi hated how disappointed he felt. Eren and him weren’t even considered friends so why were his feelings hurt? How could someone he knew for less than a day affect him this way? Levi still couldn’t believe that he had allowed a stranger, a killer, into his house without much of a fight. His only excuse was that Captain seemed to like Eren but that wasn’t good enough. Levi should have stood his ground, no matter how fucked up he was feeling.

But that _spark_. The instant connection and desire for someone who he wanted to be with was like a strike of lightning after Eren kissed him. The spark he had been looking for was in the shape of the most gorgeous man he had ever seen who was also a fucking serial killer.

_Fuck my life._

Allowing himself a glance at Eren, Levi watched as he stacked the taller shelves with the inventory Levi had to sort out. He hated to admit it but Eren was being extremely helpful. Levi didn’t need to use the stepping stool he had and it saved him some time to work on his shop. The window needed another wipe down and the chairs a thorough cleaning. It was midday now and Levi had one of his regulars; Eld Ginn who was an older man nearing fifty with the weirdest stories he liked to share. The said man was currently on his second cup of Assam bold tea, nibbling on a fruit cake and cracking his knuckles every time Levi passed him by. The raven had learned that Eld had a peculiar mind. The man might have been considered psychotic if he wasn’t one of the best lawyers in all of the three districts. If Eld wasn’t extremely paranoid Levi would be getting more customers due to the man’s social status.

“And do you want to know what happened then?” Eld asked, straightening his back like he did every time he neared the climax of one of his wild stories.

Levi grunted as he scrubbed the chair across from Eld down before shrugging one shoulder without comment. The man had been coming to Levi’s shop long enough to know that Levi wasn’t a social butterfly. Levi liked Eld because the man respected his space, unlike a certain persistent doctor he knew.

“I stared her down, spread my arms wide and sent her my biggest shit-eating grin,” Eld chuckled lightly. “Before she got up, kicked my knees in and starting stomping on my back. I flipped her off when she kicked me so hard in the ass I could feel the burn for weeks. Crazy how she managed to grow twice my size when she was such a small woman, to begin with.”

“Mhm.”

Levi finished the chair and stood up, tossing the wet rag over his shoulder. Eld gulped down the rest of his tea before taking one last bite of his fruit cake. Levi headed towards his counter only to stop midway when Eren strolled up and handed him a small white takeaway box. Levi met his eye only to find Eren staring down at his feet.

“Thanks.” The raven mumbled, taking the box and turning back to Eld. “Alright old man, you know the drill. You’ve had your two drinks and now it’s time for me to kick you out.”

Eld scraped his chair back as Levi packaged the remainder of the fruit cake. “Alright, I’ll be on my way then.”

Levi gave the man a curt nod. Eld thanked him as Levi handed him the box before starting for the door. Levi frowned slightly when he passed Eren and didn’t even seem to notice the brunet sweeping near the entry. In fact, ever since Eld came into his shop he didn’t acknowledge Eren’s presence at all. The man was paranoid but he wasn’t impolite. Levi continued to frown even when Eld’s back disappeared around the street.

“We need to talk.”

Levi slid his hard gaze towards Eren and scowled. “I agree. First, tell me why you lied about your so-called stepsister's name.”

Eren seemed to rear back at Levi’s biting words. The brunet’s eyes widened before his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed. He was trying to act offended but it was too late, Levi had already seen the surprise on his face. It was only there for a second but nothing escapes Levi’s notice. The raven grew up with one of the most notorious dealers in history so he managed to pick up a few things, including what to look for even in the best of liars. When Eren had introduced Monika, it was difficult but Levi still managed to figure out that he was lying.

“What do you mean?” Eren asked, his voice growing low. “Why would I lie about her name?”

Levi pushed the chair he had just cleaned back into its rightful place before turning his attention back towards Eren.

“You tell me.”

The brunet didn’t reply for a moment that Levi grew impatient and decided to ask another question. It was clear any topic about Eren’s ‘stepsister’ was off-limits. The brunet seemed protective of the woman and Levi knew that he would get nothing out of him about her.

“Is your name really Eren?” Not that Levi had to ask, he knew the brunet didn’t lie to him about that.

“Yes.”

The multitude of questions swimming through Levi’s mind ever since meeting the jewel eyed killer threatened to overflow and spill out. He wanted to know what Eren did to the body of the man he had killed. He wanted to know if it was all a hallucination or if Eren did move with such speed. He wanted to know how Eren had disappeared within the blink of an eye that night, he wanted to know how Eren knew where he lived, how he managed to sneak past the first door and up the second without running into Erwin. He wanted to know why his cat liked Eren so much, why his body soothed at his touch when it felt like he was on the verge of death. He wanted to know what Eren was talking about to him last night, he wanted to know why he kissed him and managed to disappear once again so quickly. Levi wanted to know why he was here and why he was pushing his way into the raven’s life. Levi wanted to know everything.

But he swallowed all those burning questions deep down into his gut.

Eren was trouble and that was the last thing Levi needed. When he had wished for something different to happen in his life he wasn’t expecting this. If he had the choice Levi would go back in time and prevent himself from ever meeting Eren.

 _I also what to know why my chest hurts every time I think of never seeing him again_.

The raven sucked in a breath before slowly letting it out. Eren watched him curiously and Levi headed back to his counter.

“Why are you here Eren?”

The million-dollar question. Eren had told him last night that if Levi allowed him to stay then he would answer any questions he had. The raven did allow him to stay last night before Eren decided to leave, and he still hadn’t kicked the brunet out of his shop so far. Levi pinned Eren with a look indicating that he was going to hold him to his word. The long soft sigh Eren let out was not what Levi expected, nor his response.

“I have to be.”

“ _Why_?”

Eren paused before he dropped the broom against the nearest wall. Levi wanted to protest but the sooner he got answers out of Eren the sooner he could kick the brunet out. Erwin’s break was creeping up and Levi knew the first place his blond friend would go was his shop. Erwin often spent his midday breaks at Levi’s shop so it wouldn’t have been a surprise, but Erwin wasn’t coming by for a simple chat with tea and cookies this time. Levi dreaded the thought of him showing up and Eren still being here. It was obvious the two hated each other right off the bat. Levi wasn’t sure he could avoid another possible fight breaking out between the two. He didn’t know why but he felt as if Eren was within his rights to be protective of him. The brunet didn’t simply kiss him last night and call him a pet name in front of Erwin for nothing. Levi wasn’t oblivious enough not to know that Eren liked him.

He’s an idiot.

Who the hell likes someone they’ve barely met for less than twenty-four hours?

_I do._

Levi wanted to curse at himself. It wasn’t his fault Eren was so damn attractive.

“It’s a very long and complicated story.” Eren finally said. The brunet made his way towards Levi but stopped a few feet away. “And it’s best told to someone with an open mind.”

Levi bit back a snort. He was a gay man who ran a tea shop and used to break people’s bones for fun. “Trust me, I’ve seen enough shit that nothing would phase me.”

Eren lowered his head again before stepping closer. Levi hated how his heart started to beat faster.

“You’re wrong,” Eren ran a hand through his hair. His head suddenly snapped back up and Levi’s breath caught as he was met with the intensity of Eren’s eyes. “You’re... Wrong.”

Levi was getting sick and tired of Eren never answering his questions, always evading them like this was some sort of game.

“Leave. If you’re not going to answer my questions then just leave.”

Levi made sure to steel his spine and crystallise his glare. Eren’s own intense stare didn’t waver.

“I’m not leaving,” Eren growled out, his teeth showing. “I already told you I can’t.”

Now Levi was growing frustrated. “You haven’t told me why!”

The raven avoided raising his voice as much as possible but Eren drew out these feelings he didn’t know how to handle. They were overwhelming him, less than an entire days events throwing him into a loop of confusion and anxiety.

“And I told you-“

Levi had enough. He could see that they were going nowhere with this.

Before Eren could finish his sentence, Levi threw the rag still on his shoulder at him, hurling it fast and hard. Eren could have easily dodged it after Levi’s seen how fast he was but the brunet allowed it to hit him square in the face. Levi heard it splotch on impact before slowly sliding down his form. The brunet’s expression hadn’t changed and he didn’t even flinch from Levi’s throw. The raven grew more frustrated knowing that Eren wasn’t hurt even in the slightest.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

Levi reached down under his counter for another rag when Eren’s words made him pause. The brunet picked the rag off his chest and rolled it before flicking it towards Levi, it landing on the counter within reaching distance. Levi chewed the inside of his cheek to keep the frown that wanted to show itself hidden away. If Eren saw how upset his departure would make him feel Levi knew the brunet wouldn’t leave. The raven needed him to though, for his sanities sake. He needed time to think and clear his mind and take everything in. He knew deep down that Eren wasn’t disappearing from his life forever so Levi took comfort in that and it helped ease the slight ache in his chest.

Eren seemed to be waiting for Levi to say something, hesitating where he stood as he turned his body away. When Levi didn’t say anything Eren headed for the door. For the second time that day, Levi watched as Eren left his sight and walked away, his silhouette disappearing faster than expected and Levi wished he hadn’t told him to leave.

-

Sitting across from Erwin as the blond man took a sip of his tea, Levi could feel his headache festering from the cops inevitable oncoming questions, questions he couldn’t answer. Erwin managed to miss Eren by half an hour, giving Levi time to prepare for his arrival. He had three more customers in that time, all of which who thankfully decided to get their tea and cakes to go. Levi was pouring himself a cup of earl grey when Erwin came strolling in, gave him a look before sitting his ass on a chair. Levi took his sweet time preparing his tea. He mostly wanted to avoid the conversation they were about to have but he could only pretend to screw up his tea so many times. Erwin knew the moment Levi had steeped his tea for too long that the raven was stalling but he didn't say anything. Finally, Levi grew the courage and said fuck all. He got Erwin's usual and set it down in front of the blond before taking his own seat across from him. Arms folded, Levi scowled at Erwin as the blond took a few more sips. They sat in silence for a full three minutes and Levi started to grow uncomfortable.

"Levi," Erwin finally said, placing his cup down gently on the coster. "You seem to have forgotten your tea."

"Oh shove it, Smith. Ask your questions."

Erwin didn't smirk like he usually did when Levi snapped at him, instead, he leaned in closer and frowned deeply.

"How long have you known Eren?"

Levi's brow ticked. "Are you asking as a concerned friend or cop?"

"Both."

"There's no need to look into him," Levi pointed out, crossing his legs underneath the chair. "Last I checked, walking into stores wasn't considered a crime."

Eren _had_ committed a crime though but Levi wasn't about to tell Erwin about the alleyway incident. The way their conversation was going, Levi could see that Erwin wasn't worried about him anymore. The cop was more concerned with Eren and his identity. For whatever reason, Levi had no clue but he found himself wanting to know. Erwin wouldn't be this interested in Eren without a good reason.

"But he was in your apartment."

"And?"

Erwin paused. The blond scrutinised Levi for a moment. He dug into his pockets and pulled out his phone, switching it on. "Did he give you a last name?"

Eren hadn't given Levi his last name but the raven didn't tell his friend that.

"What's this about? You can't go around checking up on people without a good reason."

"Just tell me his name and I'll leave." Erwin's tone had hardened.

Levi glared at his friend from his tone of voice, not knowing how to deal with this sudden change of behaviour. In all the time Levi had known Erwin, the blond never grew angry with him. It wasn't until Hange had pointed out Erwin's obvious attraction towards him that Levi figured out the blond was overly nice to him because he wanted in his pants. 

"Are you having a bitchy feat because you're jealous?" Levi asked in exasperation, uncrossing his arms and placing them on the table.

Erwin seemed to jump back at Levi's accusation. The blond didn't reply, choosing instead to pick his cup back up and taking longer than necessary sips of his tea.

"Unbelievable." Levi leaned back in his chair and huffed out a snort. "You're trying to get dirt on him because you're jealous. I thought you were better than that."

Erwin suddenly kicked his chair back and stood, slamming his cup on the table. "I have a right to be jealous!" 

"Use the fucking coster."

"Forget your stupid OCD tendencies for a moment, Levi!" The blond then slammed his hands on the table, making the cup rattle. "I know every single face this side of the district and I've never seen him or that woman before, so excuse me if I'm a bit worried."

"You're not worried," Levi pointed out, getting up to reach over and place the almost empty cup on the coster. "You're jealous. We're not even dating so I fail to see-"

"I've been after you for years. _Years_ , Levi!" Erwin cut in, his voice growing louder. "I have a right to be jealous when a strange man takes an interest in you."

Levi stiffened up before gaping at his friend.

"You can't be this pissed off because you're not even that interested in me. If you were you wouldn't have seen Nile the moment I agreed to go with you to that pompous restaurant of his."

Erwin was the one now gaping, his mouth pressed into a thin line as his brows furrowed.

"You know about Nile?" The cop asked hesitantly. 

Levi almost barked out a laugh at how constipated Erwin looked.

"I know about _all y_ our hookups and I'm not planning on being one of them." Levi declared. 

"They all don't mean anything to me, Levi." Erwin started, pleading with him. "I only messed around with them to get you out of my head. Give me a chance, I at least deserve that after everything I've done for you."

"You're using my gratitude against me?" Levi hissed out. He couldn't believe Erwin. The overly stuck up polite cop he knew wasn't the man before him now. Erwin never would have asked something like that from Levi. Was his jealously really that deep? 

"Erwin," Levi said, not giving the blond a chance to reply to his question. "I thought I made it clear that I wasn't... I'm not looking for someone like you. I don't want to be in that kind of relationship."

"No relationship is perfect," The blond urged. "But that man isn't right for you. He's trouble Levi and that's the last thing you need. You've known me for years and you've just met Eren recently, right? What can he give you that I can't?"

Levi had to admit his friend had some good points. Eren was a stranger and a murderer. Erwin was a close friend and a cop. Levi didn't know about Eren's career situation but he knew if he ended up with Eren he'll be dealing with a lot more issues than he wanted. Looking at his friend and the sudden rage in his eyes though, Levi thought Eren might have been the better option if he had a choice. He could never pursue a relationship with Erwin even if Eren didn't give him that spark he was looking for. Levi couldn't tell Erwin any of this though. There was something different about his friend that made him wary of him.

"Unless you have any more questions, I think you should leave."

Levi levelled Erwin with a cold look, not willing to back down. The cop seemed to tense up at his words, clenching his fists on the table.

"Levi, this isn't over," Erwin all but growled, lowering his head. "I'm not giving up. You were mine before he ever showed up. I'll make sure he knows that."

Levi had to bite the bottom of his lip to keep himself from giving Erwin a piece of his mind. He belonged to no one, least of all Erwin fucking Smith.

-

"What is it, shitty glasses? I just had the most unpleasant talk with Erwin and I don't think I can handle your shit too on top of it." Levi groaned out, pressing his phone between his cheek and shoulder. Erwin had left a few moments ago, leaving his tea cold and unfinished. Levi decided to finish sweeping his shop when he realised he kicked Eren out before the brunet could complete his task. Levi wanted to forget his entire conversation with Erwin. Maybe then it'll be like it never happened. His mind was struggling with holding in everything that was happening so far that he was grateful when Hange called him mid-sweeping. She was the only one who he could unload all his issues too without judgement.

_"Levi...-Shit I'm...-Seeing this?! Holy cr...-"_

"Oi, you're breaking up. Why'd you call?"

As annoying as she was, Hange always had a reason to call him. All Levi could hear now was static on the other side and he frowned, holding his broom against his chest so he could pull his phone back from his ear when the sound rose in pitch.

_"-followed...-not believe it he's...-Levi!"_

The line went dead. 

Levi quickly dialled Hange's cell, the broom dropping by his feet with a snap. From what he could understand with all the static, Hange had sounded frantic and anxious. Hange was the world's most curious and stupid fucking person but she never went far enough to get herself into trouble. The woman was a nutcase but she was exceptionally careful. For her to sound so troubled and her phone to cut out, Levi couldn't help but worry. 

"Come on you idiot, pick the fucking phone up." Levi found himself mumbling, cursing underneath his breath every time he heard the dial. It soon went to voicemail and Levi instantly redialed her number. 

_"Hange's amazing technological device-"_

"Damn it." 

Levi dialled, again and again, the result the same. "Fucking crazy woman." 

Levi was starting to think the worst when he dialled once more and he didn't get sent to an instant voicemail. He held his breath and hoped Hange would answer. After three more rings that felt like five minutes from how tense he was with anticipation, his call was answered.

"What the fuck, Hange? What the hell-"

_"...Levi?"_

The raven paused. That wasn't Hange's voice but it sounded vaguely familiar. 

_"This_ is _Levi, right?"_

"Yeah, yes, it's me. Is that you, Nanaba?"

_"Oh, my god! Levi please, you have...-Hange's...-I think it...-"_

"Nanaba, you're breaking up." Levi cut her off, not caring how panicked he sounded. He rushed to his counter and picked up his keys. "Where are you?"

He didn't receive a reply and all he could hear was static.

"Nanaba? You still there? Where are you?" Levi spoke slowly and clearly, hoping to get through to her.

_"...Shop...- Greensda...-"_

The line went dead once more.

"What the fuck?" Levi hissed out, almost hurling his phone across the shop. He only managed to catch almost two words before the phone cut off. Levi knew his area like the back of his hand and he could only think of one place with the words 'shop' and 'green' in it.

"Greensdale Shopping Centre." 

Levi quickly raced to his door, flipped the ' _open_ ' sign over before locking it with more force than necessary. He ran towards his destination, his heart hammering with unease.

He suddenly got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach midrun, an awful clenching warning him that something awful was about to happen.

_Seriously, fuck my life._


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (You thought the last chapter was a rollercoaster? yeah, right.)

Greensdale Shopping Centre was in an abandoned part of town north from Levi’s shop. It used to be popular and buzzing with hundreds of costumers every day, but sadly, something tragic took place there almost ten years ago. Levi let out a frustrated huff of air when he realised just how long it would take for him to run to the shopping centre. Scanning the almost deserted streets, the raven quickly jogged along the footpath, snapping his attention left and right as he waited anxiously for a cab. His area wasn't so uncivilised that they didn't have cab drivers flocking the streets from time to time, the trick was figuring out the rotations the drivers took and being present for them before they disappeared for a few hours. 

Levi never bothered to learn the patterns, so he was clueless. 

_I don't have fucking hours._

As if some deity was smiling down upon him for the first time in years, Levi spotted a yellow car slowly rounding the street he stood on. The closer it got, the more his worries started to chip away, little by little. Levi waved the driver to a stop, barely giving them any time to roll towards him. The raven was already shoving the door open, earning a yelp from the front of the seat as he hopped into the yellow vehicle.

"Greensdale Shopping Centre," he barked out, shutting the door with a slam. " _Now!_ "

The driver who looked no older than a college student with sandy brown hair and wide, hazel-coloured eyes struggled to pull the car back into gear. He didn't say anything and all but sped off into the street, almost leaving Levi impressed with his astuteness. The raven leaned against the window, watching the buildings woosh past him as he drummed his fingers against the head of the front seat impatiently. His nerves only grew the longer he was confined in the cab. Levi wanted to sprint out and dash towards the shopping centre himself, but he knew that would have been a stupid idea. His body was just strung up with tension and needed an outlet, or he would go mad with agony. 

The incident that happened all those years ago in the shopping centre was horrific from what he had heard. Apparently, there were underground tunnels underneath the centre, routes leading to different sections of the three districts. Some of the places they led to were restricted government areas, so Levi wasn't surprised when the tunnels were blown to smithereens after their discovery. Hange had told him that it all happened a few hours shy of new years. Smoke had started erupting from the vents and air ducts, the electricity cutting off before the ground started trembling. Only twenty percent of the customers that day made it out alive before an ear-piercing scream was heard, one so loud and catastrophic it blew everyone within its vicinities eardrums out. 

_Literally._

The smoke that had started filtering the centre was, in fact, sleeping gas. Hange had been one of the doctors on sight, her description of what she saw that day of it being a bloodbath. When the smoke had cleared, the entire centre was painted in crimson and mangled bodies littered the floors while large claw marks embedded the walls. It hadn't just been a crime scene; it was a slaughter. Hange herself was left shaken up from the encounter but experiencing it helped her to pursue her degree even more. When the investigators tried figuring out where the carnage had started, Hange told him the only thing they could find was a staircase near the elevators leading down into the underground of the centre. It had been a restricted area until they found the wired fences, completely destroyed. But if Levi thought that was the spine chilling part of it all, Hange proved him wrong. What they found at the end of the stairs was nothing more than a red-stained wall thick enough to withstand a hammer. It was after Erwin decided to investigate further did they manage to break it down and discover the tunnels. 

The shopping centre has been ruled a hazarded and danger zone ever since.

"Ah, sir?" His driver asked meekly, pressing the accelerator to bypass a yellow, almost turned red light. If Levi wasn't in such a hurry, he would have found time to strike up a conversation with the young man. He didn't ask questions and hesitate when it came to taking risks. "Are you sure you want to go there? You know it's where the new year's catastrophe happened."

"I wouldn't have asked you to take me if I wasn't sure." Levi snapped out, punching the chair in front of him. "Can't you go any faster? Someone might be dead right now!"

The man in front of him jumped from Levi's tone before making a sharp turn, the sudden motion shoving the raven against the window with a grunt. "I'm already breaking the speed limit, sir. If I go any faster, I'll be burning rubber."

"Then burn rubber, _dammit_!" Levi continued to snap out, clenching his jaw in frustration. "I'll pay for it. I'll get you a damn new car if I have to. Just hurry the fuck-"

Levi's sentence was cut off when the driver came to an abrupt screeching halt. The raven ended up tasting a mouthful of the headrest in front of him since he had neglected to put on a seat belt.

_Disgusting._

Levi's mouth twitched with barely contained fury as he shoved his body away from the seat. He was contemplating reaching across his seat and strangling the shit out of this driver when they spoke up in a nervous whisper. "We're here, sir."

When he snapped his gaze outside his window Levi's current murderous intent towards the young man instantly melted away. He found himself staring at the broken down massive building of what used to be Greensdale Shopping Centre. Levi was suddenly assaulted with the recent fear and anxiety he had felt the instant he dashed out of his store.

For all he knew, his stupid irritating best friend might be dead.

Digging into his pockets and clumsily chucking crumpled bills of money at the man, Levi kicked the door open and sprinted towards the shopping centre, not bothering to shut the door after his leave. He was sure the man would have been happy to get rid of him as soon as possible anyway.

His phone clutched firmly against his chest, Levi didn't hesitate as he bypassed broken windows, shattered glass and a door with its hinges scarcely clinging onto the rusty metal jab. The centre had been falling apart the entire decade it was left abandoned. Unattended weeds were sprouting out of the copper-coloured brick floorings, neglected shop windows gathered dust, empty stalls and cleared out cafes provided the ghost appeal of the entire first floor. The atmosphere was thick with lingering dusty particles and chilly without any electrical mechanisms. The temperature swept over him but Levi didn't give it time to sink into his skin. Tapping into his phone, the raven dialled his friend's line and powerwalked deeper into the centre with battered breath.

Levi made sure to silence his ringer to avoid alerting anyone to his presence. He was fighting off his anxiety but his rationality remained very much intact. There was a possibility that Hange's attacker had overheard their phone call and might be waiting for his arrival. Levi had to be discreet in finding her, if she and Nanaba were even here, to begin with. It was unlikely but Nanaba might have given him the wrong address. 

Still, Levi had to be prepared for every worst-case scenario. 

Sucking in a heavy and shaky breath, Levi held it in for five long seconds before releasing it. His body relaxed and his scrambled mind cleared from any recent worries. Levi forced himself to remain calm and switched his mental state to survival mood. As Hange's phone continued to bounce back to her voicemail, Levi kept on redialling, trying to pick up any sounds related to her ringtone. The raven continued sneaking into the deepest parts of the first floor and upon finding the elevators at the end of his search, started for the stairs left of them. As he made his way up the stairs, heading for the second floor, his recent call got sent to voicemail once again. Willing himself to remain neutral and lax in his movements, Levi dialled once more.

_Beep Beep!_

Levi silently twisted his head as he heard the buzzing of a phone. He swept his body around and tiptoed his way downstairs. The ringing continued and, just to be safe, Levi ended the call. Just as he did, the buzzing stopped. The raven confirmed that it was Hange's phone when he dialled once again and the same buzzing erupted. He could see the bottom of the stairs now, and right in his line of sight, was Hange's phone sitting on the last step. Levi willed himself not to panic as he snatched the device up before turning it off. Scanning his surroundings, the raven found himself staring into an empty area walled up five meters away from where he stood. Levi's ears picked up when he heard a sound in the darkened right corner; a moan and shuffled movements. Still unsure of any possible attackers, Levi moved silently like a shadow towards the sound. The closer he got, the more he recognised the two slump forms laying sprawled out on the concrete floor. The smaller of the two let out a groan before shifting their weight. 

"Nanaba?" Levi whispered out, reaching forward to nudge the blonde's shoulder. The said woman let out another groan and Levi frowned slightly.

"...Levi? What..."

The raven loomed over Nanaba as the blonde mumbled something under her breath. "Hey, what was that? Nanaba, can you hear me?"

"L-Leave... Please, have to... _Run_..." Nanaba trailed off weakly. 

Levi went to shake her shoulders, hoping to keep her awake when her body stilled. Levi clenched his jaw before patting Nanaba's cheek, his frown deepening when she didn't respond. Scanning Hange's body laying next to Nanaba's, Levi noticed her glasses a few meters to the side out of reach. He picked them up before pocketing them, looking over his friend and her partner as he did so. From what he could tell, they were both alive but out cold.

_Thank fuck._

Levi's shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. It didn't look like Nanaba and Hange would be waking up any time soon, so Levi scrolled through his phone, stopping at Erwin's contact information. He would need help getting both of them out of the shopping centre and Levi was still unsure as to how they even got here in the first place. Nanaba and Hange didn't knock themselves out either, so Levi was still sceptical about fully relaxing with the entire situation. Fingers hovering over the call button, the raven hesitated. He knew Erwin would drop everything to come to his aid, but Levi didn't want to deal with any more questions from him. Scrolling through his contacts, Levi paused at Petra's before dialling, only having to wait for two rings when the woman picked up.

_"Hi, Levi! I was just about to call you-"_

"Petra," Levi interrupted, turning his body around. "I need you to get to Greensdale Shopping Centre as soon as possible. I need your help. Hange's-"

_"Wait, slow down. I can't really hear you properly, Levi. Where are you right now? The service must be terrible."_

"I can hear you just fine, Petra. Listen," Levi began, slowly reciting his location. "Greensdale Shopping Centre. I'm at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the first floor, near the elevators. I-"

_"Levi?... Got something about stairs...-Breaking up, I-"_

"Petra? Hello, Petra?"

Levi let out a curse when the call cut out. He was about to dial again when he realised he could just text her the location. Mentally slapping himself, Levi quickly typed out instructions to his current location before sending them to Petra's number. His nerves were strung up as he waited for the message to send. Being underground, Levi knew there was a possibility of his message not making it, so to put his mind at ease, he decided to look over Hange. Nanaba had managed a few words before passing out but Hange had been unconscious when he arrived. Reaching out to check her pulse, Levi flinched back when his stomach started clenching up with heat and unease.

_Fuck, no. Not this, not now!_

Levi jumped back from the two unconscious bodies, scrambling on his hands until his back hit the wall. That ache he was becoming all too familiar with started up from his gut and streamed its way throughout the rest of his body. Levi's lungs filled with hot air and he gasped out expeditiously. His head was throbbing painfully and his skin started prickling up with the same pins and needles. 

_Hurts, hurts, hurts..._

He let out a whimper and spots started dancing behind his eyelids. Levi wanted to rip his skin out to remove how feverish it now felt. It was like his insides were liquid fire, his blood boiling lava. It only intensified the longer he stayed there, withering on the floor. 

_Eren._

He needed Eren. He needed him to numb the pain and get rid of the heat. Levi's lower body was trembling, each breath unbearable. It was torture, enduring it all. But Eren wasn't there because Levi had sent him away.

_No, I didn't mean it. Come back, Eren._

Curling in on himself, Levi bit his tongue until the iron taste of blood was the only thing he could focus on. 

He didn't know how long he stayed there, moaning in pain. At some point, saltiness entered the tanginess of blood within his tastebuds. Levi's vision was now blurry from tears. 

_It hurts, hurts so bad._

Digging his fingers through his hair, the raven scratched at his scalp and pulled, wanting to rip the strands out just so he could hone his attention on a different type of pain than the one he was agonizing in. Levi could feel the throbbing in his head intensifying, his sight growing dimmer. It was when he was just about to reach the edge of unconsciousness that he heard it. 

_Levi?_

He didn't have enough strength left to raise his head and find the owner of that voice, but he recognised it as Petra's, right before his vision turned black.

-

Erwin Smith wasn't a sceptical man, at least, that's what he told himself. He prided himself in his appearance, charm and persuasive nature; three attributes which have helped him to be where he was now. Granted, he wouldn't have had to work twice as hard for what he had like others did since he was born into a reputable family, and because of this, he was clueless as to why Levi never showed any interest in his fortune. Erwin wasn't used to people saying no to him and he wasn't used to never getting his way. He had a prestigious reputation and wealth, both of which any man or woman would die for. He understood Levi didn't grow up knowing that social status was everything, so he couldn't fault the shorter man for not falling for him as quickly as he wanted. He had to ease Levi into the reality that Erwin was the only one willing to work on fixing him. Erwin knew Levi's flaws would need multiple adjustments, but he would worry about those when the raven finally submitted to him. Levi would be perfect after he modified him, Erwin was sure of it.

_But that man from before..._

Thinking about how a mere stranger managed to touch Levi in a way Erwin never had before made the cop's blood boil with rage. Erwin had worked on getting Levi to lower his walls for five fucking years that he wasn't about to let a random bastard ruin it all. He had worked on this for too long to let the raven slip through his fingers. The way Levi had leaned against the man so easily proved how he had already gotten to the raven.

_Levi was mine to bend into the perfect partner._

Schooling his expression, Erwin powered on his desk computer as he entered the criminal database. Levi hadn't told him the man's last name, but Erwin would spend day and night going through every ' _Eren_ ' in the system until he found something on that son of a bitch. If he hadn't been so fixated on scrolling through the results, Erwin would have noticed Sina's Chief Deputy, Dot Pixis making his way towards him.

"Smith! How was your routine check?" Pixis asked, stashing his flask into his suit. 

Dot Pixis was an elderly man in his late sixties with silver hair and a thick moustache. He had the thickest wrinkles around his eyes indicating years of laughter, lips always pulled up into a grin and golden eyes that seemed to draw you in. Pixis was the only man Erwin tiptoed around, and with good reason. Notwithstanding his carefree nature, the older man was even more dangerous than Erwin himself.

Erwin casually lowered his tab before spinning around on his chair to face his superior. Despite being their best cop, Erwin never liked having his own office. He liked sitting with the rest of his co-workings just in case he needed to observe them. He had dealt with more than his fair share of rotten cops and wasn't about to make the mistake of taking his eye off the officers in his own station.

"Just fine, sir," He answered curtly, giving the other a small respectful smile. "Nothing to report." Erwin paused then, levelling Pixis with a look of fake concern. "Although, I did encounter someone I thought I might have to keep an eye on. I never got his full name so I was hoping you could help me out."

"Hmm?" 

Pixis might have a reputation for being occasionally inebriated but he had made his way to the top by sheer willpower and hard work. Pixis wasn't a man Erwin wanted to cross, knowing half the things he did about him. Pixis _was_ the only one to ever catch Kenny Ackerman before the murderer managed to slip free, after all. Erwin hadn't even known Kenny's last name until he had met Levi.

"Well, it's not every day you take an interest in someone," Pixis replied, stroking his chin in thought. "Very well then, come to me if you need to bypass any security if your guy happens to be a locked case." Pixis ended with a chuckle.

Erwin doubted it would come to that. Their only locked cases were people like Kenny Ackerman and the blond doubted someone as young-looking as Eren would have made a name for himself that notorious.

"I will. Thank you, sir." 

Erwin watched as Pixis gave him one last look before turning to head into his office. Erwin squeezed down his unease before pulling his tab back up. Pixis was the sharpest man he knew and coming from Erwin, that was saying something. 

Pushing his worries aside, Erwin keyed in Eren's name before adding his physical appearance in the database. He came across a lot of Hispanic last names given Eren's description, but Erwin ruled them out. A lot of common last names came up next and the blond ruled those out as well. Eren's features were too exotic for him to be a simple white male, but not enough to be of Spanish descent. Deciding to use his password so he could pull up pictures with his results, Erwin cast a glance towards Pixis' closed-door before focusing back on his screen. 

"No... Definitely not...." Erwin muttered, passing many brunets with hair too curly or too dark, eyes too green and skin too light. He spent half an hour scrolling through alphabetised last names. Erwin's attention was glued to his screen and he didn't look up when his partner dropped a coffee by his desk.

"Thanks, Zacharias." The blond muttered, not looking up from his screen.

He heard a grunt over his computer before his partner's gruff voice asked, "You're not about to go bad cop on this new suspect, are you?"

Mike Zacharias was the only person who could pick up on Erwin's elusive moods, and Erwin trusted the man enough to watch him commit murder and keep his mouth shut. Ever since he helped the taller blond out of a life sentence almost eight years ago under murder charges, Mike had stuck to Erwin like glue. Mike displayed such blind loyalty to him that Erwin had decided to pull a few strings to get him into the police force. He also might end up needing the man's strength if his plan ended up blowing in his face.

Still scanning the details of his screen, Erwin offered Mike a short shake of his head. "Not yet."

Mike didn't linger in hopes of pulling more out of Erwin. The man already knew that was all he was going to get. Erwin heard his retreating footsteps and he took a swing of the coffee before continuing in his search. It was when he came across the 'J' list did he stop. At the very top, was a young boy with messy brown hair and bright turquoise eyes, grinning widely.

_Jaeger, Eren._

Something about that last name sounded familiar, but Erwin didn't give himself time to figure out why. Clicking on the image, the blond sucked in a breath when Eren's profile was pulled up.

_Sex; Male._

_Age; 13._

_DOB; Unkown._

_Parent/Guardian; Uknown._

_Residence; Uknown._

_Current; Deceased._

Erwin's spin prickled with unease as he read over the information once more before scrolling to the bottom.

_DOD; Unknown._

"What the hell?" The blond whispered out with disbelief. He scanned Eren's details and clicked on his picture, wanting to expand it, only to be locked out. 

_Restricted file. Unauthorised personnel._

Erwin stiffened before clicking out of the tab swiftly, glaring down at his clenched fists. He pushed the coffee out of his reach. Even with his authority, Erwin knew his inability to enter Eren's file was due to one reason and one reason only.

Eren Jaeger was a locked case.

-

Levi blinked his bleary eyes open, finding himself gazing drowsily up at a white ceiling. He heard the unmistakable beeping sound of a heart monitor, felt an IV line jammed into his wrist and a solid mattress supporting his back. Smacking his lips together, Levi found his mouth dry and throat parched. Looking to the side, he noticed a bouquet of white roses and snowdrops placed on top of a table near the bed. Levi squinted his eyes but couldn't see a note attached to the flowers. The sterile smell of where he was tickled his nose and Levi bristled uncomfortably.

"I hate hospitals." The raven muttered out.

From what he could tell, he didn't have any broken bones or a concussion. If he hadn't known that he'd passed out after locating Hange and Nanaba, Levi would have ripped the IV out of his arm and left the building. The sweltering fever he had been assaulted with from before had melted away, leaving him feeling slightly nauseous but otherwise functional. Levi shuffled around on the bed to right himself. He kept eyeing the flowers curiously. Petra had managed to find him before he had passed out, so Levi knew Hange and Nanaba were probably being treated in the hospital as well. 

The slide of his door opening pulled his attention away from the bouquet of white flowers. A small blond male came skipping to his side, large round glasses taking up half his face and bringing out the bright blue hues of his eyes. The boy had the yellowest hint of blond hair Levi had ever seen, the straight locks cropped short over his forehead with the side and back trimmed down. The boy's large smile grew wider.

"Hello!" The blond boy exclaimed, rolling up his white scrubs. "How are you feeling? Oh, wait, don't answer that. You're awake and have the strength to glare at me so I'd say you're right as rain!"

His voice was too high and cheery. Levi could detect a slight raspiness underneath his tone, making his pitch come off eerie. His sky coloured eyes shown with knowledge and something mysterious, almost dangerous.

_Yep, he's fucking creepy._

Levi read his badge.

"Nurse Arlert," Levi spoke up, swinging his legs out of the bed. A wave of vertigo swept over him. Levi grasped the metal handles of the bed to keep himself from falling flat on his face. He waited a few seconds before addressing the nurse once more. "If there's nothing of concern, I'll be going now."

Nurse Arlert bounced up to him then, shoving Levi back into the bed with dainty and manicured fingers. Levi gaped at the polished nails when Nurse Arlert curled his hands into the hospital gown he was wearing. The raven was still feeling drowsy from recent events and easily slumped back in the bed with a grunt.

"Oh, no you don't," Nurse Arlert sang out, his brows drawn down in disapproval. He was still spotting that enormous grin, adding to Levi's conclusion of his creepiness. "You need some H2O before getting out of that bed. I can tell you're a stubborn human being and will like to remind you that I have authority to handcuff you to this bed if you decide to be difficult."

Levi glowered at him. "I want to speak to a doctor."

"How do I know you won't leave the second my back is turned? You'll have to convince me you're not a flight risk before seeing the doctor." Nurse Arlert tilted his head and smirked at him.

Levi's brow ticked. Unfortunately, the blond boy seemed as smart as a whip.

"Listen, kid," The raven hissed out, sitting back on the edge of the bed. "I'm going to count to five. If there isn't a doctor in front of me within that time, I'm going to knock your teeth in and get my ass out of his godforsaken place."

"Well people _do_ die here every day," Nurse Arlert chimed thoughtfully. "I don't believe in the big guy so I wouldn't-"

"One."

Nurse Arlet paused and fixed Levi with a stare. He stumbled closer and Levi leaned back when the blond boy came awfully close to his face.

"You're perfect!" They screeched out, jumping out of Levi's space just as fast as they entered. "He's going to have his hands full with you!"

Levi didn't have time to process what Nurse Arlert just said, because Hange decided to slam the door open and come barging towards him.

"Levi! Are you-" Hange took one look at Nurse Arlert and shut her mouth. 

Levi's senses were on high alert ever since meeting the nurse. The blond boy just had his spin stiffening up with unease. Something about him rubbed Levi off the wrong way, but not in the sense that the boy wanted to harm him though. It was a strange feeling he couldn't quite explain. Levi scanned his friend over, thankful for her interruption. Hange's head was wrapped up and the lenses of her glasses looked dusty. The hospital gown she wore seemed two sizes larger on her. She also looked pale, almost on the brink of collapse. 

"Ah! Hange Zoe," the blond boy exclaimed, clasping Hange's hands within his own. "I'm a huge fan of you! Your research in human biological development inspired me to pursue my dream. You know, I've always found the human body so interesting." Nurse Arlert threw Levi an unidentified look over his shoulder. "It's amazing how much you can change with DNA using advanced technology."

Hange glanced at Levi before offering the blond boy a strained laugh. "I'm glad I could inspire you, but I have to ask. Are you a new nurse? I know every single face that works in this hospital and I've never seen you before."

Hange made it her business to know who worked at the hospital. If this was a new nurse, Levi was starting to grow even more uncomfortable. 

"I'm not a new nurse," the blond boy replied, releasing Hange's hands. "I've been around for a while. I'm not surprised you haven't seen me since I never stick around long enough to make new friends. Oh! I almost forgot!"

Nurse Arlert came skipping back to Levi. The raven flinched away from him when the blond boy went to dig into his pockets before pulling out a bottle.

"Here!" Nurse Arlert said, shoving the bottle against Levi's chest. "Take two a day. These will help suppress the sudden heat your body's been experiencing."

The grin on Nurse Arlerts face spelled trouble. He gave Levi a wink, took hold of the bouquet and handed it to him.

"Why are you giving me flowers?" Levi asked, not accepting the bouquet.

"They're for you," the blond boy replied, pushing the flowers back against him. "From Eren. He said to get better."

Levi stopped himself from shoving the flowers away again, instead, he snatched them from Armin non too gentle. 

"You know Eren? When did he come to drop these off?"

The blond boy smirked at him. "He never left."

"Excuse me," Hange spoke up, clearing her throat. Levi stared at Nurse Arlert. He wanted to ask what they meant by their last comment but Hange continued. "But may I ask for your ID? I can't simply let you prescribe a patient without knowing if you're a licenced nurse. I'm sure you understand."

Nurse Arlert straightened up. "Oh, I would have expected you to see it considering how it's pinned to my hip. See?"

Hange went to check but another nurse came barging into the room, her sights set on Hange.

"Doctor Zoe, please! You need to rest!"

"Oh, seems like I can't stay," Hange said with a pout before coming over to pat Levi on the head. "Feel better my little Levi."

The raven went to brush her hand off but Hange pulled away before he could. She waltzed towards the female nurse waiting at the door before stepping out of the room, not giving Nurse Arlert a second glance.

"Now," the blond boy said. "I'd recommend taking those pills. As I said, it'll help suppress your body's heat."

Levi couldn't fathom how they knew he was having issues with his body, but then again, they might have checked him over while he was unconscious. Having a random stranger know about what was going on with his body disturbed him. It was one of the reasons why he hated hospitals.

"You said Eren was here," Levi began, cradling the flowers. "How'd he-"

"You ask too many wrong questions."

Levi scowled at him. "I ask too many wrong questions?"

"That's another one." Nurse Arlert pointed out.

Levi sprung to his feet then, the flowers forgotten on the bed.

"Listen here, you little brat," Levi growled out, his irritation spiking. "I'm not in the best mood right now so if you value not having broken bones, I'd suggest answering my questions. I could ask you about the most ridiculous shit and I'd expect an answer. If not, I can always drag the answers out of you by force."

Nurse Arlert swallowed loudly, shuffling away from him. His eyes widened and his bangs did little to conceal the fear on his face. The confident grinning boy from before cowered before his eyes. Levi was having a hard time dealing with Nurse Arlert's sudden change of demeanour. He had questions for this kid, a lot of them. Levi wasn't leaving this stupid hospital no matter how much he wanted to until he got some answers.

"A-Aren't you more worried about any possibly pets you might have?" Nurse Arlert blurted out shakily, forcing out a watering smile. "I would be."

Levi paused, thinking about Captain. 

"How do you know I have any pets?"

"I don't, I just assumed." Nurse Arlert went to take a step towards him but seemed to think better of it. "I have no doubt you can beat some answers out of me, but I'd recommend taking the pills and flowers before going home."

"Stop right there," Levi hissed out when Nurse Arlert looked seconds away from bolting. "You know Eren, and I have a lot of questions-"

" _For_ Eren," the blond boy cut him off again, shuffling on the spot. "I can't help you. Only he can answer the wrong questions you've been asking."

It seemed life loved fucking with him. Levi could do nothing as he watched the nurse slip out of his room hastily.

-

In the end, Levi dressed and left the hospital as soon as Nurse Arlert scurried out of his room. A few nurses questioning stares lingered a bit longer than he was comfortable with but one glare from him had them jumping back and minding their own business. Along with the flowers, Levi had taken the pills Nurse Arlert left him with. If the blond boy knew Eren and gave him pills that supposedly stopped his sudden body heat, then Levi had no choice but to bring the pills with him. The bottle was clear and the pills large and white. Levi was sceptical by nature so he didn't take one right away. 

Still, he knew he would sooner or later.

He had made his way back towards his shop. The hospital wasn't very far and Levi never complained about getting extra exercise. It had been less than five minutes that Hange walked in, dragged him to a seat and started drilling him with questions left and right. 

"You let him go?" Hange gasped out, kicking Levi under the table. "Levi! How could you let him leave without getting any information? He was my only lead!"

Levi leaned down to rub at his injured knee. He held back from kicking Hange just as hard because he knew his friend was right. It didn't take a genius to see how sketchy Nurse Arlert came off. The blond was a different kind of crazy and Levi had a best friend who once dabbled in black magic. Hange was a woman of science and yet she attempted to make a contract with the devil. Sometimes Levi wondered if her childhood was as grim as his had been.

"That kid wouldn't have budged," Levi replied calmly. "Trust me, I know a stubborn person when I see one. Also, what did you mean he was your only lead? Hange, how the fuck did you end up in the shopping centre? What happened?"

His friend stiffened up across from him, frowning. She opened her mouth only to dash her gaze around his shop before meeting his eye. Hange leaned in then, her glasses reflecting off the lights.

"Well," She began slowly, fidgeting with her fingers. "I may have staked out your shop and waited for Eren to leave the second time he came back. And I might have also followed him."

Levi stared at his friend. He couldn't say he was surprised but that didn't mean he approved.

"Do you have any idea how creepy that is?" Levi sighed out. "Just, tell me what happened after you followed him."

"Um... You might want to get some tea before I say anything else."

Levi levelled Hange with a look. "I'm not getting up. What the hell did you find out?"

Hange paused once more. She shut her eyes before massaging her temples. "Levi, I now wholeheartedly believe your " _Eren has superpowers"_ theory."

"Hange," Levi forced out through his teeth. "What. Did. You. Find. Out?"

"I thought I was seeing things," she let out a long sigh. "When I saw him. Nanaba observed Eren's movements and she figured out that he knew we were following him. He didn't try to stop us though, in fact, he led us to the shopping centre. I wanted to know what his deal was since you saw him kill someone, but my intuition told me to bail out. I wasn't too keen on digging deeper, because why would he be going into an abandoned building with the knowledge that we were following him? Nanaba was sceptical as well, that's why we tried to leave. But... He suddenly just... Disappeared from our view. He kept disappearing and reappearing I thought I was losing my mind, and that's when I called you. But..." Hange took a shaky inhale. 

Levi reached over to comfort her but didn't know what he could do. Comforting wasn't his best suit.

Hange offered him a watery smile though, showing her appreciation before continuing. "Someone came up behind us. We didn't realise until it was too late. I thought it might have been Eren but I caught a small glimpse before blacking out. Their hair was much lighter than Eren's, almost dirty blond, and they were a few inches taller. When I woke up in the hospital, Nanaba told me that she managed to surprise them before pulling me to safety. You know she used to be in the military, right?"

Levi gave her a single nod. "I suspected."

"Well, she called you right away but found herself in the same boat as me," Hange continued. "She told me you managed to find us inside the shopping centre, which tells me we were moved while unconscious."

"Did she get a good look at the asshole?"

Hange's lips pulled into a tight smile. "She says her memory of his face is blurry at best. She only knows they're a tale male and quiet built."

"And the nurse?"

"He knows Eren," Hange pointed out. "So he must know about Eren's... Powers. He spoke like he was close to him, and I don't think it was mere coincidence that he ended up as your nurse. I've never seen him before and Eren looked like he was new to town."

"You can go back to the hospital to check him out." Levi suggested. 

"Or I could ask Erwin to check him up on the system." 

"No," Levi said automatically. "Don't mention any of this to him."

Hange frowned at him. "Why not?"

"He's been..." Levi hesitated, thinking of a way he could word his unease about Erwin recently. "Vexed about Eren. I don't think he'd react well to hearing about this. He questioned me about him all because he was jealous."

_Yeah, vexed was a good word._

"Oh," Hange hummed then, smirking slightly. "So he's acting like a jealous ex-boyfriend. Got it. I won't mention any of this to him, don't worry."

He could tell Hange wanted to ask about his conversation with Erwin but she thankfully kept her mouth shut. Levi knew it was difficult for her to do. Hange thrived on gossip. He'd give it until tomorrow before she caved and forced Levi to indulge her curiosity. And Levi would tell her; down to the last word if he could. There was just something about spewing all his worries out to Hange that left him satisfied afterwards. Levi didn't know how she did it, but Hange had a way of squeezing into people's lives and offering solace. 

Levi couldn't say he wasn't grateful for her friendship. After all, not many people would have stuck around.

Levi stared at the flowers he had placed on the table. The white roses along with the snowdrops were arranged perfectly. He knew flowers had meanings but never spent the time figuring out what white roses and snowdrops meant.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Hange said in a quiet voice. She traced the outline of the flowers. "You know the snowdrop symbolises hope? The white rose has a lot of meanings though; purity, love and new beginnings. If I hadn't followed Eren I might have found this cute."

Levi scuffed. "Anyone who knows me knows I'm the furthest thing from those meanings."

"But sexual wise, you _are_ pure," Hange urged. "And you give everyone around you hope. You also gave yourself a new beginning, and not to mention how much you love your evil cat."

"Captain's not evil," Levi scowled at Hange. "You're just jealous he likes Rico more than you."

"No," Hange denied with a press of her lips. She was slowly starting to forget their recent conversation, her shoulders slightly less tensed. "And you threw those pills out before leaving the hospital, right?"

Levi stiffened up and blanked out his expression. If Hange knew he kept them she would strap him down and turn him inside out to make sure he hadn't taken them. Any sane person would have thrown them out, but Levi couldn't do it. He was willing to do almost anything to get rid of the sudden heat that was starting to overtake his body. 

He knew Hange wouldn't approve, so he lied.

"Yeah, of course I did. Like hell I'd take something from a nurse as creepy as that blond kid."

Hange relaxed fully in her seat. "Thank god. Listen, Nanaba agreed for me to examine her. I wanted to go over what happened again just in case we missed anything. I'll come by tomorrow morning to check up on you, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine. Go see your girlfriend."

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Hange furrowed her brows in worry. "I can call Petra and Rico to come over. They're worried about you as well."

"I'll be fine, Hange," Levi breathed out. "I promise you'll be the first person I call if anything turns up."

Hange offered him one last pleading look but Levi waved her off.

"Okay," His friend sighed. She stood from her seat. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Levi nodded his confirmation and watched as Hange left out the door. He waited a few seconds longer before digging into his pocket and pulling the translucent bottle out. He remembered Nurse Arlert's instructions. 

_Take two a day. These will help suppress the sudden heat your body's been experiencing._

Popping the cap, Levi shook out one large white pill and stared at it. It didn't have any letters or even the strip in the middle that most pills had. 

For all Levi knew this pill would kill him.

"If it does I'll haunt that creepy blond bastard to his own grave." Levi grumbled out.

He tilted his head back, dropped the pill on his tongue before swallowing, the large item sliding painfully slow, down his throat. 

-

Erwin was hesitant about asking Dot Pixis for authorising him to enter Eren's file. He couldn't interpret how the man would respond, but he had to try. If he manages to get whatever horrid actions Eren had committed to Levi, the raven would have no choice but to be indebted to him for helping him dodge a bullet. Levi would see that whatever attention Eren had given to him didn't come without baggage. The raven could never have a happy safe life without Erwin. The blond knew this and it was high time Levi knew this himself.

Finding his resolve, Erwin knocked on Pixis' door and waited patiently. 

"Come in, Smith."

Erwin's heart drummed in his chest.

"I can see your shadow," Pixis called out with a chuckle. "Come in."

Erwin opened the door and entered the room. This was the first he was in Pixis' office so he stole a look over his shoulder and noticed the rectangle glass taking up the entire top quatre of the door. It was slightly blurry but Erwin would be able to pick out each person's silhouette through it.

"Good evening, sir." Erwin greeted, taking a seat in front of Pixis' desk. "I was hoping I could cash in that offer? I'd like some help on a case I'm working on."

"Oh?" Pixis raised a brow, tangling his fingers together. "What kind of case?"

"It's regarding Eren Jaeger."

Erwin picked up Pixis' sudden tense form.

"Jaeger, huh?" The older man mused, rubbing his chin. "Sounds familiar. Now, where have I heard that name before?"

"It was in the news about ten years ago," Erwin informed, watching his superior closely. Pixis wasn't the only perspective man in the force. "Just a few weeks before the Greensdale Shopping Centre New Years tragedy."

"Ah, yes." Pixis agreed. He leaned back in his chair, posture relaxed and he regarded Erwin with the same calculating look the blond was giving him. "I remember. A woman by the name of Carla Jaeger was found murdered in her home. A robbery gone wrong according to the reports."

"That's just it," Erwin said, suspicion creeping into his tone. "I've looked up the officers who were on the case and every single one of them have been wiped from the server. It's was an open and shut case but no one was convicted. You can understand my suspicion, sir."

Pixis held Erwin's gaze before he shrugged. "I do, but why the sudden interest in a case that happened ten years ago? You can understand _my_ suspicion."

The older man gave Erwin a sly smirk as if he already knew the answer. Erwin controlled his facial expression, refusing to give anything away.

"Apparently, there's an Eren Jaeger in this town."

The moment Erwin spoke the name, Pixis had gone rigid and his eyes harden into slits. The older man frowned deeply. "I see."

"You know him." It wasn't a question.

Pixis pushed himself from his chair. "I wouldn't dig into the past, Smith. You're unravelling something beyond your control."

"You know something about Eren Jaeger," Erwin continued, ignoring Pixis' comment. "And I have suspicion he's a dangerous man. All I want is access into his file and-"

Pixis barked out a booming laugh, cutting Erwin off. "Dangerous is a huge fucking understatement, Smith. I'm warning you," Pixis turned serious, glaring down at the blond. "You do _not_ want to mess with that man."

"With all due respect, sir," Erwin marched on, growing irritated. "I'm not only Maria District's best cop, but I'm also Sina City's as well. As their most trusted cop, It's my duty to keep everyone safe. I have a responsibility to the people. I understand that Jaeger is a locked case, but he only is because you've deemed him to be."

"And with good reason. You want to know how dangerous that man is? You're looking at someone with a far more notorious bloody reputation than Kenny the Ripper himself."

Erwin's spine prickled with unease, his insides suddenly filled with ice. He had no doubt Pixis was telling the truth, but if that was the case, Eren Jaeger shouldn't have even been in the restricted files. No, a man with that amount of carnage to his name could only be-

"He's a triple S rate according to the government," Pixis confirmed Erwin's thoughts. "Which means, he's out of our jurisdiction. Not even I have the authority to unlock his file."

Erwin discreetly sucked in a breath. He dug his nails into his palms. With this new information, he knew that was all he was going to get out of the man.

"Thank you for your time, sir." He gave Pixis a brief nod. "I appreciate it."

"You can see yourself out."

Erwin stood and grasped the handle of the door.

"Oh, and Smith?"

Erwin looked over his shoulder. Pixis grinned at him, but it was anything but friendly.

"Dig too deep and you might find yourself digging your own grave instead."

Erwin pulled the door and left. 

Pixis knew something about Eren Jaeger but Erwin couldn't figure out what the man was hiding. If Jaeger really were raked a triple S rated case, then shouldn't Pixis be in the dark as he was? 

It didn't matter now. Erwin had managed to find one bit of information that he wisely kept from the older man. Taking out his phone, he scrolled through the saved news report he had paged. 

He knew the location of Carla Jaeger's house, the very one she was supposedly murdered in. 

-

Levi huffed out a tired sigh. He dragged his hand down his face before kicking his door closed. After Hange left, Levi had quickly checked the inventory of his shop before cleaning up. It was almost fully dark by the time he was done. He wanted to rest at his apartment and knew he wouldn't be coming back down once he had, so he needed to make sure everything was in working order when he opened his shop back up tomorrow morning. 

Levi toed off his shoes, whistling loudly. "Captain, dinner!"

Levi went to his kitchen, missing the dark figure seated on his couch. He rumbled through the draws, pulling out Captain's cat food. Levi fixed Captain's bowl and was just about to turn on the taps so he could boil the water for his tea when he realised Captain hadn't come charging to get his food. 

"Captain?" Levi whistled again.

When he heard his cat's meow, Levi relaxed before making his way into the sitting room. 

"What's-" Levi froze midstep when he locked eyes with blazing green and gold. Eren was sitting on his coach, Captain slumped on his back in his lap. His cat meowed once more and Eren's fingers started rubbing the feline's stomach.

"How the hell do you keep on managing to break into my house?" Levi spat out. He unconsciously took a wary step back. He remembered his conversation with Hange and suddenly felt anxious with Eren's presence.

"I have my ways," The brunet replied softly. He scrunched up his nose before pinning Levi with a heated look. "Why do you smell like that?"

"What?"

Eren picked Captain up before placing him on the ground. Levi watched as his cat whined, nuzzling against Eren's legs. His cat hadn't even noticed his presence yet, and that pissed Levi off.

"Can you stop seducing my fucking cat?" Levi hissed out.

Eren made his way over but Levi took a step back. The brunet paused before blinking at him. "I can't help it if he likes me."

"Who's Nurse Arlert?" Levi blurted out then, remember the creepy blond he had encountered back at the hospital. "He said you could answer my questions."

Eren cursed something under his breath that sounded like, _fucking Armin_ before letting out a sigh. "He's a fucking nutcase, that's what he is. I also fed Captain before you came."

"You... Fed my cat?"

"Yes."

Levi scrutinised Eren for a moment. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask the brunet but he didn't want to bring up Hange. For all he knew, Eren would bolt the second he mentioned her name. That would leave Levi with more questions than answers.

"What's your deal?" Levi asked, growing tired. He was fed up with everything that was happening and required some assurance. "Why did you keep me alive back in that alley? What did you do to me? Why did you bring me flowers? Why, Eren?"

The brunet stayed silent. Levi took a step closer. Eren sucked in a breath.

"You're mine." 

Levi took another step. "What does that mean?"

"I don't..." Eren paused and in the dim lighting of his house, Levi could see his frown. "I would scare you away."

"Why would you scare me?"

"You said it yourself," Eren's voice grew to a whisper. "I'm a monster."

Levi had no control over his body. Eren was pulling him closer without even trying. The raven stepped closer until they were mere inches apart. Eren's scent clouded his mind. He smelt so alluring, spicy and sweet at the same time. Levi eyed the gleaming key around his tanned thick neck. Eren's shoulders were so large. Levi reached up and wrapped an arm around one, feeling the tight ridges of muscles. 

"We're all monsters, Eren." 

"No, you don't understand." Eren captured his hands, pulling them into his hold. 

"How can I?" Levi's voice raised in volume. "You're not telling me anything."

"I'm telling you what I can."

Levi narrowed his eyes. "No, you're telling me what you want me to know."

"That's not true."

"It is! If it wasn't then answer me one simple question."

Eren regarded him. "I can't promise that I will."

Levi had enough. He twisted out of Eren's hold and shoved against the brunet's chest. His hands met the fabric that did little to conceal the hard expand of his chest. Levi's fingers dug in. He couldn't help but run his fingers over Eren's bord chest. He was so fascinated by his body. Levi had never met anyone like him before.

"Levi-"

"What am I to you?" 

Levi could feel the beating drum of Eren's heart beneath his palms. The rhythm soothed him. Eren lifted a finger underneath his chin, lifting his head up. Levi took in the small smile Eren gave him. Eren leaned down so close Levi could feel the small puffs of air that escaped him.

"That's the right question, Levi." 

The raven senses were suddenly assaulted with Eren's scent, now musky and irresistible. Levi's chest rumbled and a whine escaped him. Eren grasped his chin in a rough hold then, forcing his head to the side. Levi's face heated up.

"J-Just answer the question." He rasped out.

Eren lowered his head until his lips brushed against Levi's hot cheks. The raven could feel his smile.

"Everything."

That one word dispersed any worries Levi held about Eren. Erwin's warnings and Hange's experience all disappeared. As Eren pulled him against his chest, the hot blast of his body's temperature melted Levi's reservations. Here in Eren's embrace, Levi felt something he never thought he would need. A bubbling warmth of tranquillity. It was as if Eren's simple form was built to keep him safe. Heart racing, Levi stared at Eren's lips. 

_I want to kiss him._

Nothing mattered anymore. Any questions he had didn't matter. Reality faded away the moment Eren met him halfway, capturing his mouth into a heated kiss. Eren pressed him closer and Levi's body shook. Eren's lips lit him aflame, the brunets tongue running along his bottom lip, leaving scorch marks. Levi had never been kissed like _this_ before. Like Eren wasn't simply drinking him in, but claiming his entire soul. He allowed Eren to open him up, gave himself over to the brunet. Eren mapped out his insides with such fever Levi couldn't breathe. Levi started releasing whimpers with each drag of Eren's tongue. He was so absorbed with Eren's kiss Levi didn't realise how his body hadn't suddenly slammed with heat like usual. 

"Let me claim you," Eren gasped out, pulling away, leaving Levi breathless. "Let me, Levi."

The raven didn't register Eren's words, all he knew was that he wanted for Eren to kiss him again. Levi reached up for Eren, dragging the brunet's lips back onto his own. Levi's fingers grasped brunet strands. Eren's own wrapped around his waist. Levi was pressed tightly against Eren's body, he could feel each hard appendage, once of which had his stomach knotting up. Eren felt exceptional hard around his crotch area and Levi bit back a moan. 

_Oh, god. Holy fuck I want him._

"Eren..." 

Then everything snapped. Eren roughly pulled away from him. Levi caught sight of something sharp through his hazy eyelids. Before he knew it, Eren had shoved his neck aside and hovered just where his neck and shoulder met. His veins still pumping with arousal, Levi lagged at the sense of razer sharp teeth running along his throat. 

"Eren-" Gripped with desperation for his touch, the raven dragged the brunet even closer, only freezing up when the skin of his neck was pierced. 

Levi felt a trickle run down along his throat before he felt the pain. A shuddering, hot-cold flash of white blinded him and a scream tore from his mouth. Eren's arms locked him in place. Levi's body immediately felt weak. His mind was scattered, his pulse ringing loudly behind his ears. Levi struggled in Eren's unbreakable hold, and then, ecstasy. The raven grew limp before twitching with searing pleasure. Levi's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his head lolled to the side, unconsciously asking for more. He had never felt such unbearable pleasure before. It was almost like his entire body was singing with lust, each twitch of his body sending him rolling through the edge in a release that took over his entire form. 

It was both too much but not enough. Levi wanted more but wanted it to end. Words never escaped him, only chocked gasps and cries leaving his mouth. It was when Eren started to suck while still latched deeply in his neck that Levi lost it. His vision darkened. Everything was spinning, he was tangled in an endless loop of vertigo and _fuck-_

_"Ahh!"_

A mixture of a scream and cry ripped out of his lungs. Eren pulled away then but the damage was already done. Levi's legs shook and felt too weak to hold his still spasming body up. Eren quickly pulled him off his feet. 

_It hurts, it hurts so good._

His neck felt sticky and Levi realised it was because of the sticky red liquid. Eren had bitten him, _no_ , straight up drank his blood. Levi's fear came back. 

"W-What... You..." 

He blinked back the haziness from his eyes, his body still trembling. Once his vision came back, Levi honed in on the blood smeared across Eren's chin. The raven watched in horror when Eren licked it off. Eren's bright eyes stayed on him.

"What are you?" Levi chocked out, his words strained. His neck ached terribly.

Eren didn't answer right away, still staring at Levi with hunger. "You already know what I am."

_That's right, he's a monster._

" _My_ monster." Levi whispered out in sudden realisation.

When Eren flashed him a woofy grin, Levi's chest clenched with warmth. He always knew he was a fucked up human being, but to _enjoy_ what Eren had done to him was a new kind of fucked up. Even now, with the aftershock of Eren's horrendous bite's still lingering effects, Levi was turned on.

"Oh, my god." He muttered out. Levi was sure his horror was all over his face. 

Eren unceremoniously dropped him on his coach then. Levi blinked at the sudden movement and reached out for the brunet, wrapping his fingers around Eren's wrist harshly.

"W-Wait, where are you going?" Levi asked in a panic.

"I'm not going anywhere, Levi." 

Levi blinked once more before slowly letting go. "Oh."

Captain jumped onto his lap. His cat meowed before snuggling on Levi. The raven instantly relaxed.

"Can you maybe..." Levi trailed off. Eren scowled down at him then, his eyes darkening. "What's wrong?"

The brunet shook his head. Eren leaned towards Levi and pressed a hard kiss to his forehead then. Levi's panic came back.

"I have to go."

"No, no no," Levi grasped Eren's shirt, refusing to let go. "Don't leave. Eren, please don't leave again."

Levi was back in the shopping centre, fighting against the pain of having his insides boiling. He remembered how desperate he had been for Eren, how much he needed the brunet to be there with him.

"I have to go," Eren repeated, his voice gone hard. "There's something I have to do."

"Take me with you." 

At that, Eren pulled back and regarded Levi. The raven glared stubbornly at him.

"Not yet."

Levi fought hard to keep his eyes on Eren, refusing to blink. Eren blew into his face then, and just like last time, Levi blinked and Eren was once again gone. 

_For fucks sake._


	4. Chapter Four

Dot Pixis had spent the start of his adulthood drinking himself into an early grave. It hadn't been hard to do, given his drunk deadbeat of a father who paid him little to no attention. He never knew his mother so he never knew love. That was until he had encountered a young girl outside a bar he frequented one night. He had just finished celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday with a couple of mates until one of them had decided it would have been a good idea to start a brawl. Pixis liked to watch violence but he never joined, so, he left, only to stumble into a little girl, glaring defiantly at him while clutching a teddy bear. He found himself scolded out by a five-year-old for drinking who he later walked home. The little girl he soon discovered had a loving mother, but unfortunately, her father decided to leave the moment she had been born. Pixis never managed to figure out how she and her mother stayed so happy, and it seemed they picked up on his poorly disguised melancholy. The little girl made it a habit to follow him to the bar and wait before dragging him back to her house, where her mother offered him a warm meal and a feeling of belonging. His life slowly changed then, and Pixis decided to turn it around.

It was when the girl's mother lost her life to a drunk driver that he pursued a career as a cop. Apparently, the girl's mother left her in his care, which surprised him. Underneath his aloof and troubled persona, the woman saw the neglected child he truly was. Pixis made it his life's mission to keep the little girl happy, and strangely enough, even with the loss of both parents, she stayed happy. 

When she had grown into a beautiful and independent young woman, he felt for the first time that he had accomplished giving love to another human being. Pixis, later on, became the godfather of a little spitfire with the most intense eyes known to man. He loved the kid to death and promised his mother he would keep him safe. Little did he know, that tragedy would strike and take her away. Pixis had faith that her son would push through like she had when she lost her mother, but how wrong he was. When the boy lost his smile, Pixis could do nothing but watch as his godson turned into an emotionless wreck of pain and sorrow. It hadn't been long after that when the comfort of the bottle became too irresistible to refuse. Still, he never crossed back into who he was and kept his promise to protect his godson.

Staring at the smiling photo of the little girl he raised and her son, Pixis traced their outline. Looking at it always helped centre him, and he would need a straight head for the conversation he was about to have.

When his skin prickled with the sudden drop of temperature, Pixis placed the photo back into his desk before raising his head.

"It's nice to see you, Eren."

A grunt. 

He hadn't seen his godson for almost ten years. Looking at the tall muscular figure before him, Pixis hardly recognised Eren. One thing hadn't changed though, the boy still had the most intense eyes he had ever seen.

"I thought we had an agreement," Eren began, his voice now deeper. "You wouldn't try to summon me unless it was an emergency."

"And I haven't for ten years."

"You sound upset," Eren pointed out, digging his hands into his pant pockets. "Remember you were the one to suggest me leaving in the first place. At the time I didn't understand how dangerous my presence was in town, but I guess I owe you thanks for kicking me out when you did."

"You left of your own free will, Eren." Pixis sat back in his chair. "As you said, I made a suggestion. You were the one who agreed to it. Never mind any of that now. I wouldn't have summoned you unless it were serious."

The brunet walked silently closer. "Has anyone threatened you?"

"No."

"Then why am I here?"

Pixis breathed out a sigh before gesturing to the chair in front of him.

"I'll stand."

Pixis raised a brow. "Suit yourself. I'm not the one who's been threatened Eren, it's you."

Eren gave him a slow smirk. " _I'm_ being threatened?"

"I know you're more than cable of handling yourself," Pixis said. "It's not your safety I'm worried about, it's your existence."

"The government's already aware of my existence thanks to that fucking bastard," Eren hissed out. "And they know they can't do shit to contain me. Listen, I'm glad to see you're still kicking, old man, but unless you give me a name-"

Already knowing how restless Eren could be, Pixis said, "Erwin Smith."

Eren's attention snapped to him, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "The fucking cop with a superiority complex?"

Pixis held back a smile at the description. "That would be him."

"I'll kill him." Eren growled, eyes flashing emerald as he drew closer.

"No," Pixis stood up then, eyeing Eren's trembling shoulders. "I need him. There's someone he's in contact with that I'm after in order to keep your secret safe."

"I don't care," Eren bristled, stalking closer. He held himself from slamming his palms on top of Pixis' desk, knowing he'd break it. "I've got a personal vendetta against that man."

Pixis frowned at Eren, scanning the male's enraged face. "May I ask why?"

Eren ignored his question and asked one of his own. "What does he know?"

The older man eyed his godson sceptically before letting out a defeated breath. From what he remembered, Eren was the most stubborn kid he had ever encountered, and Pixis had met a lot of people in his long life.

"I'm afraid he uncovered the news article about," Pixis paused and swallowed. "...Her death."

It was still quite painful to remember and Pixis stared wearily at Eren, expecting a terrible reaction. 

"He knows the location of my old house," Eren said with a stiff nod. "I know."

The brunet hadn't even batted an eye. The only indication that he even heard Pixis mention his mother's death came in the small clenching of his jaw, nothing else.

"You already-" Pixis shook his head, reminding himself that this was _Eren_ he was talking to. "Nevermind. What are you planning to do about it? If he discovers the basement-"

"It's already been taken care of." Eren grinned darkly. "If anyone asks, you just need to say that Mr. Smith took an assignment outside the three districts and won't be back for a while. A long while."

"I need him alive, Eren." 

The brunet shrugged one large shoulder. "I might not be feeling very charitable when I go to see him."

"I need him alive." Pixis reiterated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Eren studied his hard stare for a moment before letting out a grunt.

"If he goes anywhere near that house I won't touch him," Eren paused. "But I make no promises for anyone else."

Knowing the rest of Eren's childhood friends, Pixis wasn't convinced that Erwin wouldn't meet a nasty fate.

"I need him-"

" _Alive_ , okay," Eren cut in, grinding his teeth together in frustration. "We won't kill him."

If Erwin decided to ignore Pixis' warning and head out of Maria towards Eren's old home, the blond would suffer being tortured relentlessly. Eren was a man of his word, so at least Erwin wouldn't die, but still.

"Don't break him," Pixis pleaded. "He's irreplaceable."

The older man needed Erwin to finally locate the man who planned to push Eren towards massacring the entire world. If what Eren's father had told him were true, there was only one thing that would keep Eren's humanity intact and save the brunet from committing genocide. Pixis had made sure to keep Eren as far away from the very man who wanted to destroy him, but now that Eren was back in town, he feared his plans to capture the man would fail. 

"I can't speak for the rest of them," Eren began, leaning on his left leg. "But out of respect for you, I won't touch him."

Pixis relaxed at Eren's words. He knew that if Eren kept his hands off Erwin, the rest of his childhood friends would as well. Despite his constant denial when he was a kid, Pixis remembered that Eren's friends would follow the brunets every word. It had been an unspoken rule that whatever Eren said goes, no matter how much Eren insisted that they followed their own path. Pixis couldn't blame them though. They had gone through hell thanks to Eren's father's experiments. It had been when they lost two from their group that they all flocked to Eren for strength and comfort.

Looking at the boy he helped raise now, all grown-up but missing that spark of life he once had, Pixis mentally cursed himself for not being able to do more to help him. His godson was shrouded in death. They may have not kept in touch for the past ten years, but Pixis knew Eren had committed horrendous sins in that time. Eren couldn't help it though. His father had been meticulous when it came to crafting him into the perfect monster.

"I appreciate it," Pixis said, pushing aside his dreary thoughts. "And it was... Good to see you again, kid."

Eren offered him a small twitch of his lip. "Don't kick the bucket yet, old man."

Pixis sensed Eren's impending departure but stopped the brunet when a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, Eren."

The brunet paused and raised a brow.

"Why are you here?"

Eren gave him a large grin, tilting his neck until it cracked. Pixis cringed at the sound. "There's something in this town that belongs to me."

Before he could question him further, Eren disappeared.

-

Levi stayed up that night, waiting for Eren. He wasn't sure if the brunet would be coming back, but he hoped. Captain meowed against his chest. Levi snuggled himself deeper into his couch, wrapping the blanket over his shoulders. He picked up his phone, checking the time.

_2:14 am._

It had been hours since Eren left so suddenly, and Levi spent most of that time thinking back to the bite Eren had given him and also how the brunet managed to disappear so fast. Levi had never believed in magic but how else could he explain how Eren had left? Touching his still aching neck, Levi's fingers skimmed over the band-aid he had placed over it, wincing slightly. 

"What the hell am I doing with my life." He mumbled out into his dimly lit sitting room.

Captain gave him another meow before popping out of the blankets, blinking up at him with large dark blue eyes. Levi grunted when his cat shuffled further up his chest before curling up and purring.

"You're lucky you aren't human," Levi spoke again, rubbing his furry head with a finger. "And that I care about your traitorous ass. You don't like random strangers more than the person who's been feeding you for years. I felt offended, you know."

Captain only purred louder. 

"I'm serious. Next time Eren comes over," Captain's ears picked up at the sound of Eren's name. "Your job is to ignore him. And maybe scratch his leg. That'll teach him to stop barging into my house uninvited."

Captain lifted his head and stared at him, his nose twitching. Levi glared at his cat.

"You're supposed to love me more than Eren, okay?" 

Captain paused before he meowed once more.

"I'm going to take that as a yes. It better have been a fucking yes, Captain."

His Cat shimmered back down to his lap then and turned his back towards Levi.

"Stupid fucking cat," Levi grumbled, but he continued stroking his cat's head affectionately. "You know what? Fine, I think I like Eren better than I like you."

Captain's head shot up at that before he bristled his whiskers at Levi.

"Don't like the sound of that, do you?"

Captain's chest rumbled with a growl then and Levi couldn't stop the smug grin from forming across his face.

"Now you know how I feel."

His cat continued growling at him for a few more seconds before jumping off his lap to head towards his bed, which was located in Levi's room. The raven huffed at his cat but stood from his position on the couch, bringing the blanket with him. Levi patted his way into his room and dumped his body onto his bed. It was becoming harder to keep his eyes open. 

"He's not coming," he muttered against his pillow. Levi stopped fighting his eyelids from dropping as he snuggled into his bed. "Might as well try to... Get... Some sleep."

_He was back. Ten years ago when he was still fighting for Kenny._

_He had just taken down a large opponent and was making his way towards Kenny. He ignored the loud cheering crowd of nobles. Kenny pulled him aside, pushing him into his check-up room._

_"How many times do I have to keep telling you," Kenny barked out behind him. His uncle gripped his arm tightly. Levi met the man's glare with a blank expression. "Always go for the kill."_

_Levi blinked at him slowly before shoving the man off._

_"You have a new doctor," Kenny grunted out. "He's the best at the moment so I hired him to look you over for any injuries. Unlike the last one, he won't quit if you give him a few broken bones, so don't even try, got it, runt?"_

_Levi didn't reply and Kenny didn't expect him to. Ever since the man had taken him into his care, Levi had never spoken a single word to him._

_"Alright, just don't talk to him and you won't risk losing a few limbs." Kenny addressed a man in a white coat._

_The man didn't even spare Kenny a look, his attention on Levi. "I understand."_

_Kenny left with a grunt, sending Levi one last warning look._

_"Alright, Levi," The man with glasses said, brown hair pushed out of his face. "I've read your file and you've never had a broken bone? I find that hard to believe considering your profession."_

_It was true though. Levi never allowed his opponents to get close enough to even touch him._

_"Alright then," The man said, picking up that Levi wasn't going to reply. "Sit down for me and I'll get started."_

_Levi complied and sat on a chair, allowing the doctor to roll up his long sleeve shirt, which had turned brown after his fight._

_"I'm doctor Kruger, by the way. My, you're in excellent physical condition, maybe the best I've ever seen."_

_Doctor Kruger rummaged through his bag, pulling out a needle filled with shimmering white liquid. Levi had never gotten an injection like that before. He frowned at the doctor. The man offered him a reassuring smile._

_"Don't worry. This is a formula of the injections you used to get. It's like your old ones; it'll help with any pain but unlike the others, this one is more advanced. It will also help heal any injures you might have gotten at a faster rate than normal."_

_Levi went to ask a question but the doctor had already pierced his skin with skilled hands, the liquid entering his body._

_"Now, I'll be giving you this after each match, just so your body gets used to it, okay?"_

_Levi didn't reply. The man grinned widely before clapping his hands together._

_"Okay! See you next time, Levi."_

_And their pattern began. After every match, Doctor Kruger would see him and give him the injection. Levi_ was _healing a lot faster than usual. Levi felt uncomfortable with the sudden changes and somehow Kenny picked up on his unease around doctor Kruger. His uncle only threatened him not to scare the new doctor away, that Levi's performance had gotten better after the injections. Levi didn't think it would have been physically possible for him to get better at fighting, but apparently, he had. What sometimes was a challenge had now turned into nothing but a one-sided match._

_His fights were starting to get boring._

_During one of his appointments with Doctor Kruger, Levi felt as if something was wrong. Kenny was standing to the side smoking while Doctor Kruger finished with Levi._

_"There, now before I forget," Doctor Kruger said, patting Levi on the shoulder. "I won't be coming to the next appointment. Only because I have some family matters to deal with. I will be sending a replacement though, someone just as good as me, so don't worry about his performance changing."_

_Kenny simply shrugged, not caring either way as long as Levi stayed in perfect fighting condition. And so, Doctor Kruger left that day, but not without throwing Levi a single sentence._

_"Please look after yourself."_

_It wasn't strange for his doctor to care about his well being, but the way Doctor Kruger had said it sent a chill of unease sliding down Levi's back. The man sounded like he was_ begging _him to look after himself, almost as if he were afraid for Levi's life. Levi didn't give himself time to think too much about it though, because Kenny had dragged him back into the ring._

_It was the next day that Levi met his new doctor, a man by the name of Marcus Kindley._

_"Hello, Levi," Doctor Kindley said softly. "Unfortunately, your previous doctor won't be coming back. He left me a note stating that he had a few family matters to attend to so I'll be your doctor from now on."_

_Doctor Kindley was nice, but he never tried to talk to Levi unless absolutely necessary, unlike Doctor Kruger had done. Levi never spoke back whenever Doctor Kruger talked to him, but he appreciated the man's effort. It was after a few months when Kenny decided to mention Doctor Kruger._

_"You can hide that disappointed look whenever your doctor comes from others, but you can't hide it from me," Kenny had said, snuffing out his cigarette under his boot. "Haven't heard about that doctor with the glasses for a while so he's probably dead. Remember, death is a usual occurrence around here. You know that better than anyone, so quit your moping."_

_Levi forgot about Doctor Kruger after that._

_Doctor Kindley was finishing up with his injection when a sheet on the table caught Levi's eye. The raven pointed towards it and Doctor Kindley picked it up before handing it to him._

_"Tragic, you know?" The man said. "I heard about it on the news. I was good friends with her husband back at uni. Good people. I think they had a kid a few years back."_

_Levi stared at the news article about a woman who was murdered in her house in Shiganshina Rose. It had been the words that caught his attention since that was the same place he grew up in. Levi blinked at the article before giving it back to the doctor. It was when the doctor threw away the empty needle that Levi realised that Doctor Kindley hadn't been giving him the same injections that Doctor Kruger had. Did Doctor Kindley even know who Doctor Kruger was?_

_Levi wanted to ask these questions because they seemed important. But when he went to open his mouth, nothing came out._

Levi shot out of his bed with a gasp. He huffed and blinked the sleep from his eyes. The memory of his time back in the Underground Ring looked so different now. He could see it all in a new perspective that gave him chills. Unanswered questions swam in his mind and kept him from going back to sleep. 

He needed to talk to Hange.

-

_1 new message_

_Unknown: *Marie's, one hour.*_

Erwin stared down at the message that had been sent an hour ago, waiting at the same table he and Levi almost had dinner at. He had planned to head towards Maria District first thing that morning, but then he got the text. After meeting Levi, Erwin had the fortune of bumping into a man who held information about Kenny the Ripper's movements. It had been too great an opportunity to pass up, so Erwin agreed to meet them every month for updates on Kenny's location in exchange for access to his criminal database system. Erwin was sceptical at first, but after catching a glimpse of Kenny after receiving their tip, he never questioned them again. A small part of him had been curious as to why they would want access into criminal files, it wasn't like they could do anything about the people already in jail or the ones deceased, but when they never asked about his interest in catching Kenny, Erwin minded his own business. At the end of the day, they were helping him catch the very man Levi was afraid of. 

If Erwin put a bullet between Kenny's eyes, Levi'd owe him his life. 

Despite the numerous tips Erwin received, Kenny always managed to slip through his fingers. The blond was getting irritated, but he knew good things come to those who wait. He just needed to be patient for a little while longer. If the worst-case scenario were to happen and Erwin never manages to catch Kenny, he'd have to force Levi into realising their compatibility a little earlier than he would have wanted. The raven would fight him, but Erwin hadn't worked on him for all these years just to give up now. 

One way or another, Levi would be his.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Erwin waved a waiter over and ordered himself another glass of water. 

_They're never late._

In all the time Erwin met up with his informant, they've always been punctual. It was strange for them to request to meet a week earlier than usual and end up being ten minutes late. The blond was starting to grow suspicious. Exchanging police information for his own personal greed was very much against the law, but Erwin didn't think his informant would stoop so low as to betray him.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," A deep voice asked behind him. "There was something I needed to check up on."

Erwin looked over his shoulder and met crystal blue eyes behind round lenses. The man didn't offer him a smile in greeting and instead, took his seat across from the blond.

"Is there a reason why you asked to meet up sooner than planned?" Erwin asked, getting straight to the point. 

He took a sip of his water as a waiter came, but the man across from him waved them off. Every time they met at different locations and every time, the man never ordered anything.

"Yes," The man began, bristling slightly in their seat. "I understand recently you've started to grow agitated about getting close enough to Kenny but never managing to catch him. For the past two months, he's been laying low, but I've managed to figure out why. He's gone back to the Underground Ring."

Erwin took in this information, pushing his glass back. The Underground Ring was were Levi had fought in. It was the place every noble family knew of and funded in just so they could watch people beat each other senseless. Erwin's own family had been apart of it, and he managed to watch a few of Levi's fights before meeting the raven, not that he ever told him. Erwin had vowed to make Levi submit to him ever since seeing the raven defying all odds and crushing every single opponent sent his way. It had been a surprise, seeing someone as small as Levi with that much power, but that only made Erwin want to tame him even more. The Underground Ring was extremely illegal, but since more than half of every noble family in Sina profited off of it, there wasn't much the police could do. 

"I see," Erwin said. "I'll look for any upcoming fights that Kenny might be planning. Although, since he lost Humanity's Strongest, I don't know how he's planning to pull in a huge crowd like he used to."

Humanity's Strongest had been Levi's name back in the ring since he had remained undefeated in every fight. The raven's skills were legendary and people paid crazy amounts of money to see him in action. Ever since Levi disappeared from that life, a bounty had been placed for his head which Erwin quickly removed given his connections. It was impossible to escape a place like the Underground Ring, but Levi had always been one to defy all rules of logic. 

"Which is why he's put the bounty back on his head." The man replied calmly.

Erwin tensed. "He's _still_ looking for him?"

"Of course. He's the only one who's ever beaten Kenny in the ring, and if you were the infamous Kenny the Ripper, wouldn't you want to keep a tight leash on the only person who could kill you?"

Erwin had to admit, the man was right. Mike was the second-best fighter he had ever met, which was why Erwin had planned on using the taller blond to help him in capturing Kenny. 

"There was something else," the man continued, placing his hands on top of the table. "The reason why I've been asking for your help. I've found what I've been looking for and no longer need access to the database. Which means this will be the last tip I'll be giving you."

Erwin picked his glass back up. "That's reasonable."

The man smirked. "I do have something for you, a parting gift."

The man dug into his pockets and pulled out a vile with shimmering blue liquid.

"What is that?"

"This is a special batch of my father's own creation," the man informed. "It acts as a relaxer but far more powerful. If you ever encounter Kenny, make sure he takes this before you try to capture him. It might just save your life."

In all the time they've known each other, Erwin had never heard the man mention anything about his personal life. But oddly, he trusted him.

"I appreciate it, thank you." Erwin accepted the vile. 

"I'm afraid I have to get going," the man said, pushing his chair to stand up. "I've got a few errands to run."

This was how their meetings usually went. They exchanged information and went on their way, no questions asked.

"But I'll be staying in contact in case I'll need your help in future, so don't assume you're rid of me."

Erwin stood up then, finished off his drink and offered the other man his hand.

"Same goes to you," Erwin replied with a nod. "I might need some information down the road about Kenny. Thanks, Zeke."

The man gripped his hand strongly, making Erwin grunt before letting go. "Anytime, Smith."

-

Levi dialled Hange's number as he poured Captain his breakfast that morning. It barely ringed twice before Hange picked up.

_"Levi, are you alright? Why are you calling so early? Do you need me to come over?"_

"I'm fine, Hange. Are you still at the hospital?"

_"Yes, I was just about to leave and get ready to meet you at your shop, actually."_

"Don't leave just yet," Levi quickly replied. "I need you to look up a name on the database. A Doctor Kruger."

There was a pause on the line and then shuffling. _"Levi, are you sure you're alright? You're sounding a bit anxious."_

"That's because I am," The raven snapped out. "I just remembered something that kept me up all night. I had this doctor back when I was... Back there. He used to give me these injections that were different from what every other doctor used to give me. I just... With everything going on, I feel like I need to know more."

 _"Okay,"_ Hange breathed slowly. _"Okay. If this will help you, I'll look it up."_

"Thank you."

Levi heard more shuffling before the clicking sound of keyboards.

_"You have a first name for me?"_

"No... I never asked and he never told me."

_"Well, every doctor who's got a licence in all of the three districts will be on this server, so don't... Okay, maybe worry a little bit."_

Levi gripped his phone tightly. He gave Captain a few strokes before making his way towards his door. "What? Why should I worry?"

_"From what I can see, there's never been a Doctor Kruger in our system."_

"How can that be?"

_"I don't know, Levi. He either lied about his name or he wasn't licenced to practice. I'm starting to get worried. When did this happen? What exactly did he inject you with? And for how long?"_

Levi could hear the panic in Hange's voice. "I... He said it was the same injection only slightly more... Better? I don't fucking know, I'm not a bloody doctor. This was about ten years ago, and he was only around for a few months, three tops."

There was a pause. _"...Levi, you need to come in to see me, right now. I don't care if it happened a decade ago, there might still be risks to your health we don't know about."_

"Trust me, if I was dying I would know," Levi stopped and tried to think back to ten years ago and for some reason, the article about the women who was murdered in his old town came flashing back. "Try... Can you look for a woman named Carla Jaeger? She died ten years ago so maybe you might have something on her?"

_"Why Carla Jaeger?"_

"I don't know, something about it feels right."

There was the sound of more clicking. _"Nothing's coming up. There's never been a patient or doctor named Carla Jager that I can find."_

Levi's heart sank as he shut his door behind him. He made his way downstairs, frowning deeply.

"Thanks for trying." Levi sighed out.

 _"Levi,"_ Hange began hesitantly. " _I know you don't want to, but maybe you should ask Erwin for help."_

"No."

_"He'll have better chances of finding these people more than I can."_

He knew she was right but still, Levi pressed his lips together in defiance. "No. I can't, Hange. Erwin's not someone I want to talk to right now."

Hange sighed loudly and Levi heard her groan. _"Isn't this more important than your feelings right now?"_

"You don't understand," Levi bit out. He stomped his way towards his shop, jaw clenched. "I'm a good judge of character, and from what I've seen of Erwin recently, he's not someone I want to talk with right now, if ever. Thanks for trying, Hange. I guess-"

 _"Wait!"_ Hange screeched out. Levi flinched as he pushed his phone away from his ear. " _There_ was _a doctor with the last name Jaeger. His licence was terminated ten years ago which is why I wasn't able to find him so quickly."_

Levi didn't dare let himself hope, but he still asked, "What does he look like?"

 _"Let's see,"_ More shuffling before more clicks. _"Dark brown hair, deep green-blue eyes-"_

"Does he wear glasses?" Levi cut off quickly, stopping in his tracks. His heart was racing.

_"Yes! How did you know that?"_

"Because," Levi began slowly. "He was the doctor who injected me, only I knew him as Doctor Kruger."

 _"Oh, my god,"_ Hange whispered out. _"Levi, he had a wife named Carla Jaeger and they both had a son together."_

"What do you mean, 'had'? Did something happen to him?"

_"From what I can see here, his wife is deceased, the same as his son but Doctor Jaeger's been missing since the death of his wife."_

Levi took in the information Hange had just told him and started to put the pieces together. "When he left, my new doctor told me that Doctor Kruger had some family business to deal with. I think now that Doctor Kruger is actually Doctor Jaeger, but why would he hide his identity?"

 _"I don't know,"_ Hange replied, still clicking away. _"But from what I'm seeing, his true identity is Grisha Jaeger. And his wife-Oh my god."_

Levi reached for his keys and frowned down at his phone. "Hange? What-"

_"Levi, they had a son named Eren."_

The raven froze. His keys slipped from his fingers. "W-What? There's a lot of people named Eren, Hange, it doesn't mean that their son is the Eren we know. Besides, I thought you said their son was dead."

 _"He is,"_ Hange urged, her voice growing louder. _"I don't know! This is all so much, Levi. I don't know how to process all this."_

"Come by my shop," Levi decided, reaching down to pick his keys back up. "We'll figure all this shit out."

-

After his meeting, Erwin went straight to Carla Jaeger's home address. It was in the heart of Shiganshina Rose, the poorest of the three districts. It was also the place Levi had grown up in before his uncle snatched him away. Erwin had to drive for hours, watching as houses grew from sophistication to rumbled small bricks with dirty gardens and smeared sidewalks. Erwin automatically locked his doors, sneering at all the half-clothed people he passed. 

Was this how Levi lived? The raven should be kissing his feet for saving him from such a horrible life. He couldn't imagine how Levi would look if he hadn't saved the raven from such a disgusting fate. Levi owed him more than he thought. After training the raven, Erwin might bring him back here, so he could show Levi the kind of life he might have had if Erwin hadn't stepped him to save him.

"Should be fucking grateful for me," Erwin growled out. "I'm the only one who can change him. How does he not fucking see that?"

The first thing Erwin was going to teach Levi was how worthless he was without him. The raven needed to know his place in life and it was by Erwin's side, right beneath his shadow. Levi was lucky to have such a pretty face. Erwin wouldn't have bothered to go to such lengths for him otherwise. 

Looking at the signs, Erwin scanned the area. He was just a few streets away from his destination. The blond let out a sigh. The sooner he discovered all he could about Eren, the better.

Erwin turned a few more corners and just at the end of the intersection, he saw the sign.

_Shiganshina Rose 14th Avenue._

The blond pulled his car into park before getting out. Erwin locked his car and scanned his surroundings. The area around Shinganshina Rose was deserted and in ruin. It looked as if not a single person had lived there for years. The blond tried to read the house numbers, looking for Carla Jaeger's home. Erwin had to cross the street at least four times until he finally found it. From the news article, the Jaegers had lived in a small one-story building home, with beautiful white flowers covering a backyard bigger than their own house. Looking at the decaying building with broken windows and chipped white paint, Erwin made his way towards it. The house had a gate in the news article, but it was missing now. Glass crunched beneath his boots and Erwin stopped once he was outside the door. The blond dug into his pockets and pulled out some gloves. Once he put them on, he tried the rusty doorknob but found it locked. Erwin rattled the doorknob some more in hopes of loosening it.

No such luck. 

The blond decided to head to the backyard for a way into the house. The picture in the article had given Erwin a look at what seemed to be a back door that led to the backyard. With any luck, it wouldn't have been blocked off or locked as the front door had been. 

He rounded the house and stopped and stared at the backyard. The white flowers were still there. In fact, they were in perfect condition. Wouldn't they have died after years of neglect?

The cop frowned and looked over the yard sceptically. He walked closer to the flowers and noticed that they were actually white roses and snowdrops. They were in full bloom and the soil looked freshly watered. Erwin's guard had already been up since entering Shiganshina Rose. Unlike the two other districts, he wasn't a trusted cop here. For all he knew, the people of Shiganshina Rose hated the police. For being such a poor area, it wasn't a surprise a lot of crime happened there. Not much cops wanted to help out a place like Shiganshina Rose though, so Erwin couldn't blame the residents if they distrusted anyone in the police force. But if he were to encounter someone, he'd make sure to win them over using his charm. It had worked before so he was confident he'd be fine. 

Still, just to be safe, the blond unsheathed his gun, now on high alert. 

The building might have looked abandoned, but flowers didn't water themselves.

The blond scanned the yard once more but found nothing else out of the ordinary. It was eerily quiet. Erwin slowed his breathing to calm his racing heart.

_"Dig too deep and you might find yourself digging your own grave instead."_

Pixis' warning came floating in his mind. Erwin forced it away. He had come this far. Erwin wasn't leaving until he found something. 

Determination replaced his apprehension and Erwin turned towards the back of the house, picking up the back door he was looking for. It was a glass sliding door that was surprisingly clean. Erwin hesitated for only a moment before gripping the handle and pulling. 

It slid open.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Erwin sucked in a sharp breath and pulled the glass door enough to slip into the house. A thick cloud of dust evaporated from the sliding of the door and Erwin covered his mouth. Somehow, there was more glass that crunched under his boots as he made his way into what looked like the kitchen. It was tiny with a single sink and a few cupboards overhead. The kitchen island's surface was also covered in a thick amount of dust. Erwin decided to look for a bedroom or study. Any personal information would be in one of those rooms. The blond passed the sitting room connected to the kitchen which held a single worn-out old coach and broken thick television. A few doors lined the hallway, the first leading into a bathroom. The bathroom was bare of anything but a mirror, sink and shower. It was awfully dirty. Erwin scrunched up his nose, wondering how anyone could live in such a place. He then went into the room across from it. It was slightly larger than the kitchen, but there wasn't even a single form of furniture in the room. Just blank white walls and a window. Erwin was beginning to worry that he'd end up finding nothing. 

There were two more rooms left and he held out hope that they held at least one clue he could go on. Erwin entered the next room. It had dark purple walls and red curtains for the window, nothing else. Feeling aggravated, the blond marched to the last room, kicking the door open. He was greeted with dark green walls and white curtains, but there _was_ a desk to the side of the room. Erwin rushed towards it and yanked the only draw open. 

Erwin found a crumbled piece of paper but nothing else. He quickly picked it up and started to smooth the wrinkles out. It was the article about Carla Jaeger's death. Erwin clenched the paper in his hands and scowled. 

"I did not come all this way for this!" He shouted out, hurdling the ball of paper across the room. 

Nothing made sense. Erwin knew Carla had not been simply murdered. If that were true, then why did all the cops handling the case disappear? Why was Eren Jaeger pronounced dead on the system when he was very much alive, _and_ a triple S rate according to the government?

_What the hell was Eren doing in Maria District if he was wanted by the government?_

_Shouldn't he be trying to lay low?_

Erwin ponded those questions over in his mind as he made his way back into the kitchen. As he walked over the carpeted flooring of the sitting room, the flooring squeaked under his weight. Erwin stopped and frowned. He took a step back and focused his weight on his right leg. The floor dipped and squeaked once more.

"Holy shit."

The blond immediately searched for the pocket knife he kept on him. Once located, he flipped it open and leaned down, tapping the sharp tip over the carpet. There was something underneath it, quiet possibly a trap door. With that revolution, Erwin dug his pocket knife into the carpet and started slicing the thick material apart. He grunted when the knife stuck on something solid and yanked it out before going back in at a different angle. Erwin sliced the carpet back enough to rip the area with his hands. Pocketing his knife, the blond positioned his fingers into the shredded parts of the carpet and started to pull it apart. He could see some planks of wood and what looked like metal. Erwin struggled to tear the carpet enough to make it out. With one final pull, the carpet gave way and Erwin fell back on his legs with a huff. Fixing himself, he looked at the wood that resembled a door, locked in place and he furrowed brows. The lock had a keyhole and Erwin doubted he could break the metal the lock was made out of. He shook the lock and studied the keyhole more closely. It had a strange shape, unlike any keyhole he had ever seen. An image of Eren back when they first met in Levi's store had him jerking back with realisation. 

Eren had worn a peculiarly shaped golden key around his neck that day. It was hard to miss something so bright against the dark clothing the man had worn. Erwin yanked against the lock and pressed his lips into a thin line.

_I need to get that key._

Nobody would go to such lengths of hiding a door underneath their house unless they were hiding something. Erwin had found what he had been looking for, now all he needed to do was figure out a way to open it. If he couldn't he had to get that key. 

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, a shadow shifting from the glass sliding door. Erwin's spine prickled as he shot to his feet before dashing towards the sliding door. 

"Police, stop!" He exclaimed, rounding the yard.

The shadowed figure had just turned to the front of the house and Erwin raced after them. He switched the safety of his gun off and raised it just as he rouned the corner. Erwin aimed his gun at the door, finding no one there, he swiftly shifted his position and turned to the side, speedwalking on the balls of his feet. He let out a long breath, steading his form. He couldn't pick up any sounds or movements, so he tried to think back on what the stranger looked like while their figure was still fresh in his mind. He hadn't had time to catch anything other than what they were wearing before the stranger had turned the corner. 

_A black jacket, maybe?_

His back tensed as he sensed someone's presence behind him. Erwin spun around then, but something hard slammed against the back of his head before he could so much as catch a glimpse of the person. His gun slipped from his hand, his vision turning hazy and then everything went dark.

-

Levi poured Hange and himself some tea. She hadn't stopped staring at him the entire time she had been there and Levi was starting to grow irritated. He handed Hange her cup before heading to his door. He flipped the sign over and then locked it, letting out a sigh. He might as well shut down his business at the number of times he had closed his shop. Not that he had many customers to begin with. It had occurred to him that it would be best to close his shop for a while, just until he figured everything out. Levi wasn't worried about making money, most of the money he had came from the fights he had won. The truth was, he had enough money to buy himself a house and never have to work for the rest of his life, but that would have driven him crazy. Levi was a man of action. Staying still for too long often made him agitated. Part of the reason why he still continued training was that he knew he'd lose his mind if he didn't.

Taking his seat, Levi picked up his cup and was about to take a sip when he felt Hange's stare. 

"Okay, what the fuck?" Levi snapped out, cup halfway to his mouth. "Do I have some shit on my face?"

"What happened to your neck?" Hange asked, flicking a finger towards his covered neck.

Levi's free hand automatically covered his neck. "Nothing."

Hange gave him a look indicating that she didn't believe him.

"Look, I'm fine. Stop worrying." Hange went to say something but Levi cut her off. "What did you find out about Doctor Kru- I mean, Jaeger?"

Hange thinned her lips. "I'm not saying anything until you tell me what happened to your neck."

Levi glared at her, but Hange glared right back. He put his cup back on the coster. Levi was a stubborn man but Hange was just, if not, more so than he was. Knowing that his friend wouldn't break until he satisfied her with an answer, Levi broke eye contact with her and let out a sigh.

"I-" Levi started to say, only to stop when the sound of his door opening caught his attention. Hange turned and looked behind her and they both stared at who had entered his shop.

"How did you-" Levi snapped his mouth shut, reminding himself that Eren was somehow magical and a locked door couldn't stop him from entering a building. Dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt, Eren took a few more steps towards them. He was holding a bouquet of white flowers too, the same ones he had left for Levi back at the hospital. The raven had left the ones he already got back in his apartment. The white roses and snowdrops had looked nice in his kitchen, but Levi didn't have a vase to put them in and worried that they would wilt too soon. He didn't know much about flowers but he knew they needed water to keep them fresh for longer. Staring at the new batch of flowers in Eren's hold, Levi wondered if he _should_ get a vase or two. It seemed Eren liked giving him flowers, so maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible idea to do so.

"I thought you locked your door." Hange turned to Levi, frowning.

The raven blinked at his friend before picking his cup back up, taking a small sip. "I did."

Hange turned her head to look back at Eren. "How did you get in here?"

Eren ignored Hange's question and made his way towards Levi. The raven felt his pulse pick up pace when Eren leaned down and held the flowers out for him.

"Here, these are for you."

Levi stared at the flowers. He then gave Eren a blank look.

"Where did you go?" Levi asked sharply. He was getting sick and tired of Eren's disappearing acts.

The brunet's lip twitched. "Did you miss me?"

"No." Levi replied quickly.

"Excuse me," Hange exclaimed, standing from her seat so she could level her gaze at Eren. "But I'm still waiting for an answer."

Eren acted as if he didn't even hear her. "Do you like them?" The brunet asked Levi, gesturing to the flowers he was still holding towards the raven.

Levi looked over at Hange. She looked annoyed and he understood why.

"If you want to know then stop pretending as if Hange isn't here." Levi snapped out.

Eren cast a look over his shoulder then. "Oh. I hope you don't mind, but I need to talk to Levi. Alone."

Hange pursed her lips at him, crossing her arms. "Unfortunately, I _do_ mind."

"That's too bad," Eren said with a smirk. "I didn't want to have to force you out, but you leave me no choice."

Levi panicked then and reacted quickly. He snatched the flowers out of Eren's hands before standing up and placing himself between the brunet and Hange.

"Stop it," Levi glared up at Eren. "I'm not going to let you hurt her. And she's not leaving. Say whatever you have to and leave again. Isn't that what you do?" 

Eren looked from the flowers to Levi as he scowled. His eyes flashed gold before turning back to its turquoise colour. "I don't trust her."

"Well, I do." Levi fired back.

Eren opened his mouth but then snapped it shut. His gaze turned to Hange before a sigh escaped him. "Hange, I need to talk to him alone." 

Eren's tone had softened slightly, making Levi relax somewhat. 

Hange was silent behind him for a moment before she spoke up. "Do you plan on hurting Levi in any way?"

Eren's expression turned serious. "Never."

Levi could sense Hange's reluctance as she walked around him to stand in front of Eren.

"I'll leave," Hange began slowly. "But only if you answer me this; Did you have a mother named Carla Jaeger?"

Levi stared at Hange wide-eyed, not expecting her to ask Eren that question. He quickly tried to figure out Eren's expression, looking for anything that might give the brunet away.

"I can't answer that." Eren hadn't even blinked. Hange scrutinised him for a while, trying to see if he was lying. Levi doubted she would have been able to find anything, but the raven had noticed the small twitch of Eren's jaw. The movement was so quick and diminutive that only someone who had trained to pick up on such things could have noticed. 

Levi didn't know what to make of that reaction though, so he decided not to jump to conclusions.

"Why not?" Hange pushed. "Your vague answer gives me reason to believe that your mother's name _was_ Carla. Am I wrong?"

"You should leave." Eren said calmly.

Too calmly.

"Hange," Levi instantly went to his friend's side and grabbed hold of her arm. "You can wait just outside. I'll scream if I need any help. I'll fill you in afterwards, okay?"

Hange met Levi's eye. She clicked her tongue before straightening. "You better. And I'll be right behind that door." She added, giving Eren a pointed look.

The brunet shrugged one shoulder, uncaring. Hange wavered for a moment until Levi shook her arm. She breathed through her nostrils before bristly walking towards the door. Levi watched as she unlocked it then slipped out, only to lean her back against his door, arms crossed.

"Before you say anything," Levi started, placing the flowers on the table. "I want to know if..." Levi paused, wondering how he should word his question. It seemed Eren refused to answer his questions unless they were worded in a specific way. "Was the injection... Grisha Jaeger gave me the reason why my body's been acting the way it has?"

Levi made sure to hold Eren's gaze when he asked this. He wasn't even sure if Eren even knew about the injections. They had just met a few days ago, but if Eren _did_ know something, then he needed to realise how serious Levi was. 

The brunet blinked slowly at him, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Yes."

Levi reared back. He hadn't expected Eren to answer his question and not as bluntly as he had.

"O...Okay," Levi whispered slowly. "I... Why?"

"I can't answer that."

Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren. "Why can't you just answer the fucking question like you did the other one?"

"Because I _can't_."

"Can't, or won't?"

" _Can't_."

Levi's shoulders sagged then. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his palm harshly. "You don't make any sense."

Eren didn't reply for a moment. Levi heard him shuffling closer and the raven squinted up at him. "There's a way I can tell you."

"How?"

Eren's eyes flashed again, this time a blazing emerald. Levi sucked in a harsh breath. The brunet leaned in, his scent invading Levi's nose. Levi's eyelids fluttered as his body unconsciously sagged towards Eren's, his skin warming from the heat the brunet was radiating. And then Eren's heat was gone. Levi blinked before straightening himself. Eren had made his way towards his door, one hand dug into the pocket of his jeans. Levi watched as he pulled the door open, startling Hange.

"I'm taking Levi with me."

Levi gaped at Eren's words while Hange stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Wait, what? What do you mean you're taking Levi? Where-" She snapped her head towards Levi then. "What is he talking about? Why do you look as surprised as me?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Levi glowered at Eren. "And don't even think about doing your weird magic disappearing act. I still have questions for you."

"Which I'm planning to answer," Eren breathed out. "But I can't do so until I've claimed you. I can't exactly do that here."

"Levi, what the hell is he talking about?" Hange stormed over to him, looking him over anxiously. 

"I don't fucking know!" The raven growled out. He pointed a finger at Eren then, glaring at the brunet. "I'm not going _anywhere_ until you start making sense. If you try any magical shit, just know I know more than twenty different ways to break bones with my hands alone."

There was silence in the shop until Hange nodded. "He's not joking."

"I didn't think he was," Eren replied with another shrug. He once again drew closer towards Levi, surrounding the raven with his scent. "Levi, I... Appreciate how open-minded you've been ever since we've met. Anyone else would have run screaming after everything that's been happening. I want nothing more than to explain everything to you. I hate how confused I've made you, but I can't do that until I've claimed you. I can't answer anything until you're mine."

Levi hated how soft he got after hearing those words. Once again, Eren had torn down any walls he had built up so easily. 

"I think I get it," Hange's voice came. "It's not that he doesn't want to answer your questions, it's that he physically _can't_."

"You're a smart woman." Eren addressed Hange, but his eyes were still locked on Levi. 

"If Levi's okay with it, then I won't interfere." Hange's tone had lowered. Levi broke eye contact with Eren to look at his friend.

"Also, I want an apology from whoever knocked Nanaba and me out when we followed you." She added quickly.

Eren tilted his head towards Hange and offered her a single nod. "Next time we meet, he'll apologise, but you'll have to wait." Eren then looked back at Levi. "We'll be gone for a few days."

Hange pauses at that. She gained Levi's attention by asking, "Do you trust him?"

The raven frowned, scanning Eren's face. He knew what Hange really meant was if he trusted Eren not to hurt him. Looking at the brunet, Levi found himself slowly nodding.

"I trust him."

Eren's face softened and he gave Levi a small smile. His tanned hand went to touch him but Levi quickly stepped back.

"Wait. If I'm going to be gone for a couple of days, I want to bring Captain with me." Levi stared up at Eren, eyes narrowed into slits. "I'm not going anywhere without him."

"I like him," Eren replied with a grin. "Of course he's coming."

Levi eased at that. "Good."

Eren took the flowers before holding a hand out towards him. Levi hesitated, looking back at Hange. He didn't know how he knew but somehow he felt as if the moment he took hold of Eren's hand, he'll disappear along with him.

"Call me," Hange urged. "Okay?"

Levi nodded. He looked back at Eren and didn't think twice this time as he placed his hand within Eren's own. The brunet's fingers twisted around his own before he pulled Levi against him. The raven let out a yelp of surprise as Eren curled him against his chest. He suddenly felt lightheaded, his skin prickling with the sudden temperature drop. Despite Eren's abnormally high body temperature, Levi shivered from the cold. A sudden whoosh of air passed through him then, dragging out a gasp before it disappeared as quickly as it came. Levi's vision flashed white for a second and he blinked the assault of light from behind his eyelids. Once the brightness died away, Levi found himself in a large room with dark emerald walls. There was a huge round bed in the middle, just a few feet away from him with black sheets, a deep green duvet and too many pillows of various shapes and sizes to count. They took up almost half of the entire bed, the majority of them cramped up against the large headboard. What had Levi in awe was the magnificent midnight blue canopy with silver strings tying the shimmery material against the black frame. Levi had never seen such a large bed with a canopy before. He wasn't a materialistic person, but despite the dark design of the bedroom, Levi found it aesthetically satisfying.

Levi tore his gaze from the bed and towards the rest of the room. It was extremely well lit, but not finding a single window, Levi looked up, taking in the multiple small dots above acting as the only light source. They littered the ceiling, looking more like stars than light bolts. A few of them kept shifting, dimming their brightness for a few short seconds before slowly reverting back. As Levi turned his head to get a better look of the lights overhead, the flowers Eren still held crinkled against his chest. Levi shifted out of Eren's arms and turned around fully. There were double doors less than two metres in front of him which Levi suspected lead out of the room and two more across from each other. He could guess those lead to a bathroom and wardrobe.

Something furry brushed up along his legs then and Levi looked down to find a black cat with white paws nuzzling around his feet.

"Captain?" Levi asked in wonder. His cat meowed in response, blinking up at him. "How-"

Strong hands took hold of his face then, dragging Levi's gaze towards blazing green. The flowers had disappeared and Eren pulled Levi against him. The raven's heart started racing. 

_He smells so good._

Levi gripped Eren's hands with his own, leaning closer and breathing in more of Eren's scent. Eren titled his head back, locking their gazes once more. The brunet brushed his lips along Levi's, making the raven shiver.

"Shall we begin?" Eren whispered along his cheek. 

Levi's eyelids dropped and without thinking, he raised himself to get closer, their breaths mingling together.

"Yeah," Eren sighed out. He breathed Levi's scent in and his eyes flashed emerald once more. A tanned finger skimmed over the band-aid on Levi's neck. Eren carefully peeled it off before staring at the still healing bite wound. "You're ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Kudos and comments are appreciated  
> Check out my carrd to find my tumblr for weekly updates on my fics if you're enjoying them)  
> [ ℛ𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃🌙](https://ravenlewdvi.carrd.co)


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